


What if saber came to the seventh singularity ?

by Linda1109



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23330230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linda1109/pseuds/Linda1109
Summary: If saber came to the 7th singularity, Gilgamesh's country, what would happen? She and Gilgamesh will make a lot of memorable memories and from then on the two will understand each other better...
Relationships: Gilgamesh | Archer/Artoria Pendragon | Saber, Gilgamesh | Caster/Artoria Pendragon | Saber
Comments: 72
Kudos: 176





	1. Uruk

**Author's Note:**

> Hello  
> I wonder if you've ever watched the fate grand order Babylonia anime or have you read the story about the seventh singularity in the game? Think carefully before reading the story, because it will reveal the names of the characters and some important details in the game. I will try to use the details as little as possible. ( but I’m so sorry, because of the amazing final battle, I decided to use them all  ). You're probably wondering why this is the seventh singularity, not the others, right? Because it is Gil’s country, of course! Honestly, after reading this singularity, I have asked myself many times: What would this singularity be like if saber also went with the master and witnessed everything ??? as a big fan of Gil and Arturia's ship, I really want saber to know more about Gil, not only his evil side but also his good side as a true king. I have seen many doujinshi about this issue, too. But in those dou, saber didn’t witness the whole story, she was just the outsider. In the end, she just said: so this man could also have a smile like that ( Gil caster’s last smile ). I don’t refuse the ideal of those artists but… It wasn’t enough for me…. Then I decided to write this new story. This is the first time I’ve ever written a story and shared it with other people. I will try my best. ( I’m not good at English so… If I make mistakes, please forgive me )  
> * Except for Gilgamesh and saber, the rest of the characters have minor roles or brief appearance

  
(The story begins after Fujimaru, Mash and Saber, along with Merlin and Ana come to Uruk)

  
…

  
Fujimaru, Mash, Saber, Merlin and Ana were all standing in front of the wall to check-in so that they would be able to enter Uruk. Thanks to the Merlin, it happened quite quickly. After talking and receiving a warm welcome from a guard, they all prepared themselves for a new journey as well as their toughest battle ever.

  
~~~

  
Back to Chaldea.

  
“Master, what happened when you called me here?” Saber asked after receiving the unexpected announcement from Fujimaru.

“Saber, sorry for calling you so suddenly, but we have a favour to ask of you.” Fujimaru said.

“Please say it.” Saber immediately answered.

“The problem is this. As you know, I and Mash are going to repair the 7th singularity which is also the last, the most important one. We do not know what will be encountered there, what difficulties are there but only that there will be a huge challenge waiting for us, a challenge we can not imagine at all. So, I wanted you to join us. You are my most powerful servant. If you give us a hand we can be more secure. But if you don’t want to go, it’s ok.” Fujimaru carefully explained.

“No Master. My sword is to bring you victory. If you need my help, please tell me anytime.” Saber said with confidence.

“Thank you for helping us. There's not much time left, we have to go now!” Fujimaru urged.

“Excuse me, may I ask you where we are going?” Saber asked.

“Oh, it’s my fault. The seventh singularity we need to fix has been identified in Babylonia, an ancient kingdom in 2655 BC.” Fujimaru smiled wryly and spoke to Saber.

“Ba-Babylonia?” Saber said with a surprised look.

“Is there any problem?” Fujimaru was a bit curious about Saber's reaction.

“Ah, no... Let’s go, Master!” Her face seemed to be thinking about something.

~~~

“This is Uruk today, mankind’s oldest fortress city as well as the largest city in the world at this time!” Merlin said with an excited voice.

That was the first time they had ever seen an ancient city.

“A-amazing!” Mash and Fujimaru said in unison.

Saber couldn’t believe her eyes either. _Is this an ancient city? Is this... his country?_

This city was so different from what they had imagined. When someone mentions an ancient city, what comes to your mind? Backward, poverty, deprivation because they did not have the modern machinery and equipment like today? No, it’s wrong. The city appearing before their eyes at that time, it was an ancient city but it was no different from a modern city. That city was so lively, so joyful, so colourful, so beautiful. This place had a busy trading market. Handicraft industries such as pottery production, forging cutlery, etc. were very developed. The life of the people here was full and affluent. But what made Saber most noticeable was... they all smile. From kids drawing on the ground with small branches to people working hard in the fields to the soldiers patrolling around the city,... Everyone was having fun. It made Saber felt very happy, but also somewhat reminiscent of the past, the smiles of her people-the smile that she couldn’t protect.

_So this is the Uruk, where humans lived with the god._


	2. A new friend

"We will save a tour of the city for later. Now, let's get over to the ziggurat." Merlin said.

"Ziggurat ?" Fujimaru asked.

"Yes, Senpai. It's a shrine and alter for the Mesopotamians." Mash explained.

"We're finally meeting king Gilgamesh." Fujimaru was happy but a bit worried.

"Ziggurat is such a beautiful architecture. It is designed meticulously, detailed to each brick. Surely the person who designed it must have a great eye." Taking a few steps, being able to take a closer look at ziggurat, Fujimaru admired.

"That's right, I agree with you, Senpai. It's lucky for us to be able to come here." Mash continued.

"What do you think, Saber? Sa-Saber? Why don't you come with us?" Fuji turned back and he saw Saber still standing below.

"Master, I... sorry, I can't go in there with you." Saber walked over to Fuji and said hesitantly.

"But Saber, I think that if we go to the country of king Gilgamesh, at least we have to inform him, otherwise it would be a bit rude." Fujimaru tried to convince.

"I know that but... I don't think that person would like to see me." Saber said with her head down.

"Why?" Fujimaru asked.

"Ah, no... It's not like that" Saber seemed a bit confused.

"If she said so then let her stay here, Fujimaru. She certainly has her own reason." Merlin said with a mysterious smile.

"So, it's up to you. I won't force you. Stay here and wait for us, ok?" Fujimaru could not help but agree with Merlin.

"Thank you, Merlin and my master. Ah, can I go around the city for a while? If you need anything, you can call me through your command at any time." Saber asked with an excited face.

"Ok, I hope you will get a good time here." Fujimaru said and waved to goodbye.

So the Fujimaru's group was brought up by Merlin to meet the king, and Saber walked around the city. Saber herself did not understand why this city has such an attraction to her. She wanted to explore it, to learn more about it. Therefore, she decided to go talk to the people here.

Saber happened to see a huge apple orchard. Every tree was full of fruit. It seemed that this city was favoured by the gods, bestowed with fertile soil and favourable weather, so the trees had developed.

"Excuse me, may I speak to you?" Saber asked a nearby girl, who was about the same age as her.

"Oh, of course. I haven't seen you before. You must have just come to our city, right?" The girl turned back and looked at Saber with a surprised face.

"Ah, yes. You can call me Saber. I think this is such a beautiful city, so I want to know more about it. Can I ask what your name is?" Saber asked gently.

"Sorry, how rude I am. My name is Kirki. I will tell you everything I know about my homeland. But first, I have to finish my job. Now it's the time to harvest apples so we have to pick them up and deliver them to the shops so they can sell them to the people." The girl explained.

"Let me help you, so I can get to know more people as well." Saber said immediately.

"It would be nice if that was the case. But I think if you work with that long dress, it will be very entangled. In this apple orchard there are many small wild plants that I don't know when they sprout. If you walked, it would be very difficult and easy to stumble. Let me go home to get you another outfit, rest assured, my house is nearby." Kirki suggested.

"Thank you, but I don't think it's necessary." Saber refused.

"Oh, come on. Let's go, otherwise, it will be late!" Kirki said and then wrapped Saber's wrist.

So Saber was brought home by Kirki. The small but cosy house was a few steps away. Kirki took out a half-shirt and a traditional Sumerian skirt that reached the middle of the legs.

"Here, try this out." She gave them to Saber and told her.

Saber didn't really like this outfit much because it seemed rather revealing to her. But that was Kirki's kindness, she couldn't help but accept it. It was such a large orchard that Saber and everyone had to harvest the entire afternoon to get all the apples. Despite the long work, Saber was happy because she could talk to many people. She learned more about how to properly grow, the country's agricultural products, how they traded. But most importantly, she understood more about the lives of people in this country. They tell Saber about their family, about the neighbours, about the big festivals often held here. Saber could not believe it. Although she had only met them for less than half a day, they told her stories honestly like people who had been together for a long time.

"It's finally over. What will these apples be used, for now, Kirki?" Saber asked.

"Well, now we are going to put them in big sacks. Of course, we have to remove broken or worm fruit as well. After that, we will wait for Sain and his brothers. They are very strong, they will give it to shops in the city for sale. Besides, we also exported to other countries before but now ..." She looked a little sad. "Ah, there they are. Hello, guys, you are a little late today." Seeing someone, Kirki excited.

"Hello Kirki. Sorry for that. Oh, have you made a new friend?" The man seemed to be the oldest one asked.

"Yes, she has just come to our city today. As you can see, she's not only pretty but she's also kind. She wants to find out about our city so after this is done, I'll take her somewhere." Kirki introduced.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Sain. I am very happy that you are interested in this beautiful city. If you want to go, hurry up because the sun is setting." The man said.

"Yes, it will be dark soon. Let me help you load these sacks into your trolley, so your work can be completed faster." Saber proposed.

"No, I can't let you do that, you are a woman. Hey!" Before he finished his sentence, Sain saw Saber carry the 2 biggest sacks and put it on the trolley.

"You are so strong..." Everyone was very surprised about what Saber had done.

As Sain and his brothers left, stars were gradually appearing. There was no time so Kirki offered to invite Saber to her house for dinner, but she refused and thanked Kirki for her kindness.

"So at least let me give you a thank you gift." Kirki said.

"There's no need to do that, I didn't help you much...ah!" Saber said and suddenly Kirki took her hand and ran to a nearby old lady's flower shop.

"Please wait a moment." Kirki said and then call the shopkeeper. "Grandma Azia!"

"Oh, Kirki, you want to buy some flowers?" Grandma Azia turned back, looked at Kirki and Saber with a warm smile.

"Yes, please sell me the most beautiful wreath I saw the day before, have you sold it yet?" Kirki asked as she looked around the shop.

"Of course not, I see that you like it so I think one day you will ask for it, here it is." Grandma Azia said, she took the wreath from a small box in the corner of the shop.

"Thank you very much, here is the money. But it's not for me, it's for my new friend, she's Saber. Please introduce to you, this is grandma Azia. In her flower shop, there are the most beautiful flowers in this Uruk. Here, let me put in on for you." Kirki carefully put the wreath on Saber's head.

"Oh, to think you would fit this blue wreath so much. Ah, you look so beautiful!" Kirki said while jumping up and down in joy, making Saber blushed.

"Kirki? You are Kirki, right? Yes, it is you." Suddenly, from nowhere a boy about 12 years old came running with a happy face.

"Filia? You're here? I haven't seen you for a long time." Kirki surprised when she saw a boy in front of her.

"Yes, now I'm learning to forge from grandpa Smid, then I will be accepted to work and then I will have more money to support my mother." The boy explained with a naughty smile.

"That's good, I hope you and your mother will have a better life." Kirki rubbed Filia's head and said.

"Thank you so much. Oh, is that your new friend? She is so pretty. Hi, nice to meet you." Filia said when he saw Saber standing behind Kirki.

"Y-yes, nice to meet you too." Saber said shyly.

"Oh, I have to go home now. Goodbye you two." The boy's shadow gradually disappeared in the sunset.

"He is a very filial son. His father died early when he was a little kid, his mother was constantly ill. He always had to work as a hired labourer to earn money." Kirki said sadly.

"What an unfortunate boy. But I'm glad to see that he doesn't lose his cheerfulness and innocence. By the way, I see that almost everyone is your friend. In fact, it is not strange for a kind girl like you." Saber said.

"You are my friend too, remember?" Kirki hold Saber's hands and said. It made Saber blush a litter bit.

 _Saber, please come here..._ A voice suddenly rang in Saber's mind.

"Sorry, I have to go, too. Thank you for today, I was so happy, see ya."

After saying that, Saber immediately rushed to ziggurat, where Fujimaru's group was waiting.

_I am ... her friend?_

_So this is Uruk, a country of kind people._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sounds a little boring, so please keep waiting. Do you guys find the names of characters a bit strange?


	3. The Chaldean Embassy

Saber ran and held the wreath in her hand so she wouldn't drop the gift from her new friend.

"Master, I'm back!" She shouted.

"Welcome back, Sab...ah! You look like people in Uruk now!" When Fujimaru saw Saber, he was so surprised that he was almost speechless.

"Oh, why is my student so cute? Uruk people's casual clothes suit you so well." Merlin said.

"That's right, that's right. You look very nice wearing this outfit, Saber. Your trip must have been a lot of fun huh?" Mash continued.

In response to everyone's reaction, Saber didn't know what else to do but to show her shyness.

"Artoria, the wreath you're holding in your hand is really beautiful. Where did you get it from? As the Magus of flowers, I find that the flowers have a very special beauty. Here, here." Before Saber could say anything, Merlin took the wreath and slowly put it on her head.

"I knew right away, blue suits you. My young student has become a very pretty girl now. As a teacher, I feel very happy. I wonder if that person met you, what would he react?'" Merlin said as if he meant something.

"Stop talking!" Saber looked at Merlin with angry eyes. "I don't want to mention him anymore."

"That person?" Fujimaru and Mash were very curious.

 _That person._.. Saber hasn't seen him in a long time. The memories of the old master, the people she had met in that distant dream have all faded away. But why... There was an image she could never forget. There was an image that seemed to be imprinted on her mind, about a man. The man who tried to feel her existence before he vanished. That person always said words she couldn't understand. Or maybe she didn't understand him? All she knows about him is that... he's a tyrant, the road to rule the country between him and her will never have an intersection. So why did she have to understand him? But while standing in the country of the people she always considered enemies, she felt...

"Sorry for making you wait like this" An unknown voice came from behind Fujimaru.

"Um, were you the one assisting the king earlier?" Fujimaru asked when he saw a woman approached them.

"Pardon the belated introductions. I am Siduri. I manage the Ritual Site. Sorry, but who is that? Has she come with you?" The woman asked.

"Well, you mean Saber? That's right, she came with us from Chaldea." Fujimaru said.

"Good evening, I'm his servant. You can call me Saber. I didn't go with master into ziggurat because I thought this was unnecessary. I was just a weapon waiting for a master's order, so if I happen to be rude, please forgive me." Said Saber, bowing solemnly.

"You don't need to apologize to me like that. I am very happy that you have given your love to our country. But I am afraid that if the king knows about this, he will surely get angry." Siduri worried.

"You don't need to worry about that, I'll talk to him later." Saber said.

"If you said so, let me take you to a temporary home base." Turned back to the main point, Siduri said.

"I shall give you some advice. If you would like for the king to listen, having some noteworthy achievements would be the fastest way." Siduri explained while they were walking.

"When you say "achievements", do you mean combat in the Demonic Front?" Mash asked.

"Instead of that, how about you go and help with the various jobs in this city? I will go and make the job arrangements for you. I will do everything I can to help you because the king ordered me to take care of you. It's not often he says something like that." Siduri suggested.

Upon hearing that, Fujimaru and Mash were happy to know that the king also cared for them.

"Well, talking about that, Saber, where did you go this afternoon?" Fujimaru asked.

"That's a long story. I'll tell you later." Saber smiled.

Siduri stopped in front of a big house. "This is where you'll be staying. This house may seem a bit old but it has all the necessary things for everyone. Make yourself at home."

"Wow, it's the Chaldean Embassy, Master!" Mash said with an excited voice.

"Uhm, thank you, Siduri." Fujimaru gave Siduri a grateful smile.

"Hmm, I have a room in ziggurat. But this place looks more fun. Or you can come in there and replace me, Arturia." Said Merlin as he wanted to tease Saber.

"What are you talking about? Stop making bad jokes." This time, Saber seemed to be angry. She tried to calm herself down and asked: "By the way, Master, can I hang this wreath up here? It's very beautiful so I want to keep it as long as possible."

"Okay, it will make this house more beautiful." Saying that Fujimaru turns to speak with Mash "If we are here, I think we should inform Doctor."

"Yes, Senpai, I'll prepare it right away." Mash answered immediately.

While Mash was about to contact the Doctor, Siduri went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. The communication went very well. Fujimaru and Mash reported to Doctor about the situation in Uruk and the meeting with King Gilgamesh.

"Artoria, if you like flowers like that, why don't you get flowers from Avalon when I give you? Did you criticize the flowers from this Magus of Flowers?" Merlin asked after seeing that Saber carefully hung the wreath on the wall next to her.

"No, it's not like that. I just..." Saber confused.

"Oh, do we have new guests here?" A strange voice came from outside. Three people had just stepped inside, they looked like people from different eras but they seemed quite close to each other.

"Good evening, my name is Fujimaru Ritsuka. They are Mash and Saber. We came from Chaldea. And they are Merlin and Ana. On our way, we had met them and had been led here. Nice to meet you." Fujimaru quickly introduced himself as well as everyone.

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm Leonidas. This is Ushiwakamaru and he is Benkei. We are servants summoned by king Gilgamesh to help him protect this country. Come on, let's sit down and talk." The tallest man said.

Siduri brought out a teapot she had just made and poured for everyone. Ushiwakamaru immediately stood up and spoke forcefully: "Fujimaru, humanity's final master who has come from a distant world to this troubled land! We shall help you in every way possible to the best of our abilities! Everyone, let's raise your cup. FOR THE FUTURE OF BABYLONIA!"

"FOR THE FUTURE OF BABYLONIA!" All said it in unison.

"For the future of Babylonia..." Saber also wanted to respond to everyone but she wondered if she wants to do that. Standing on the same line as him... No, for Kirki, for Filia, for grandma Azia and all the kind people here, she would try her best, even if she had to disappear.

"Wow, it's so delicious!" Mash said as she drank her cup of tea.

"Indeed. Oh, I didn't realize that king Gilgamesh had already summoned servants." Fujimaru said.

"I thought I mentioned to you about the powerful summoner that brought me here?" Merlin asked.

"Oh, so you were talking about king Gilgamesh." Fujimaru nodded.

Ushiwakamatu was very friendly. She immediately ran over to chat with Fujimaru and the others. Meanwhile, Leonidas had a question for Saber.

"I still don't know your name. I know Saber is just the name of your class. So what's your real name? Who are you? Why are you hiding your real name, you don't trust us?" Leonidas asked continuously.

That was also what Benkei was wondering about but he did not dare to ask for fear of being rude. He did not expect General Leonidas to say so. At that sudden question, Saber closed her eyes and thought for a moment. She wondered if she should let everyone know her real name. If they knew, that person would know, it would be troublesome for her. Of course here beside her, Master and Mash, Merlin also knew her real name, but he didn't say anything. It meant he gave her the right to decide.

"What's up? Can't you tell us your real name?" Leonidas still patiently asked.

"Of course I have to trust my comrades. I just thought that it was not necessary. After all, I am just a servant. Everyone just needs to know that I will do whatever I can together with everyone to bring victory to this place, that's it." Her eyes still closed, she just seemed to want to answer this question quickly.

At Saber's answer, Leonidas suddenly stood up, slammed the table hard. His face showing tremendous anger. That pounding sound caught everyone's attention, Saber alone looked calm. She may have foreseen his reaction.

"Did you say a name is unnecessary? Why do you think so? You are the servant, aren't we? Even if we are a servant, we must have the pride of a heroic spirit. Do you know that the unnecessary name is the one that passed down to generations and not you? That name tells everyone who you are, what you had dedicated to their present life and then praised you. Don't you want to be remembered?" Realizing he was a bit too impatient, Leonidas tried to calm down, sat down and said: "Sorry, but if I didn't know who you were, I wouldn't be able to trust you."

The name of a heroic spirit... She always wondered what the people of England would think when they heard her name? Will they think of a king who sacrificed himself for the sake of the people or a king who did not understand the human heart? Yes, that knight was right. King Arthur did not understand the human heart. Even the people who had followed her for ten years she couldn't understand. Those thoughts made the guilt return, filling her mind but Fujimaru pulled her back to reality.

"Saber... I never considered you a servant. Mash and everyone here thinks so. You are our trusted comrade and a member of the Chaldea family!" Fujimaru said.

"Yes, for me, you are always a kind sister who teaches me a lot of things!" Mash continued with a smile.

"Don't forget you're my lovely student." Merlin also said.

At everyone's words, Saber was very surprised, she opened her eyes and saw everyone's gentle smiles. Such smiles have always encouraged and helped her a lot.

 _Master... Mash... Merlin... Thank you... Thank you very much!_ Her stern gaze became gentle. She had a smile. It was just a gentle smile, but everyone could notice that.

"Sorry Leonidas, I was rude to you. If I had known your name, I would have professed my name as a knight. My name is Artoria Pendragon, King of Britain. I am very pleased to meet you all." Saber said.

"Oh, so you're the legendary king. I've heard of you. But I did not expect you to be a woman." Ushi quickly ran to Saber to talk.

"You too, the famous Japanese military commander, Ushiwakamaru. Didn't the next generation say that you were a man?" Saber replied.

Ushi didn't know what to say so she just laughed and went to get a wine bottle. "Here, this is the best wine I've found in this Uruk. Wanna try? Leo, you should try it this time."

Benkei was a monk so that he couldn't drink wine. But Leonidas was different. He didn't want to touch alcohol to focus on the upcoming battle. Or maybe if he drank, something would happen...

"The food is done!" Siduri carefully took each dish out and placed it in front of everyone. Although Saber didn't know what it was, she wanted to eat immediately when she saw it. It looked very different from what she had eaten at Chaldea thanks to the ingenious hand of Emiya but the scent of it made her could not resist. Those were delicious foods that make people happy to eat them. Siduri is such a great cook. The dinner that day was very happy. Everyone told each other about the memories when they first came to this Uruk. Saber also told her story today, about the people she met and their kindness.

After Leonidas had finished eating, he had an offer to Saber: "Then you're also a king, so you must be very strong. Alright, tomorrow morning and I will challenge you, what do you think?"

"Hmm, the challenge. I can't help but accept it" Saber showed a very confident smile.

"Hahaa, good. I'm looking forward to it. Ushi, Benkei, would you like to join?" Leonidas laughed. 

Benkei nodded with a smile. Ushi just smiled and didn't say anything. Leonidas picked up his cup and gulped down the entire drink. Suddenly, his face turned red. He started speaking strange things.

"Oh no, who poured ale into General Leonidas's cup?" Siduri shouted.

"Who knows? It's good medicine for him if you ask me." Ushi said with a big smile.

After washing dishes, cleaning up, Siduri sat down and explained to everyone about the king of this country. Fujimaru suddenly remembered the person claiming to be Enkidu that he had met so he asked Siduri more carefully about this person. At this time, General Leonidas had fallen asleep.

"Then, is Enkidu dead like the legend says?" Fujimaru asked.

"Yes, the king watched as Enkidu died, and buried his friend in the Underworld. There was nothing so beautiful or sad as Enkidu. He may have been a puppet made by the Gods, but he gained a heart. Then, he was shattered, heart and all." Siduri said with a sad face.

"Did King Gilgamesh know that a fake version of his lost friend has been made into his enemy?" Fujimaru continued.

"Yes, of course, he did. Though, they've never met each other in person. But his response was unremarkable. It didn't feel like he was trying to keep us from worrying, either." This time the person who answered the question was Merlin. "We'll find out what exactly that boy is, but that can be done starting tomorrow. Take time to get some rest tonight. Look, Ana fell asleep, too."

Seeing that everyone had fallen asleep, Saber walked very carefully up the rooftop, trying her best not to make any noise. She could not sleep. Of course, the servant doesn't need to sleep but every time she closed her eyes, she remembered Kirki, the first one to call her a friend after all these years. A friend... She was always alone on her path, so she couldn't have any friends. Ah, that person had a friend, too. She had met that friend but it wasn't him. That was just his face, not his soul so that she couldn't know what that friend was like.

"The sky today is really beautiful, don't you think so?" A voice suddenly came from nowhere.

Saber immediately realized whose voice it was. She turned back and saw Merlin had stood there. Since coming up, she had been focusing on her thoughts, so she hadn't looked at the starry sky right in front of her. Yes, it was very beautiful. It was very similar to the starry sky that she had used to look through the window from her room before. No, this sky was very different. It was so vast, stars shine brightly. She could see constellations that she could only see in books before.

"Yes, it is very beautiful. Haven't you slept yet?" Saber asked.

"Why can I sleep when my king is not asleep?" Said with the smile, Merlin approached Saber.

"I know you're up here not just to stare. Are you thinking of someone, isn't him?" Merlin asked.

Saber glanced at Merlin and then back to the sky.

"It's his friend, Enkidu... After hearing about him, I found it a little strange." Saber answered.

"Isn't he the opposite of you?" Saber seemed to know the answer to the question in her mind, but she still listened to Merlin spoke silently, eyes still up to the sky.

"He was born as a puppet but he gained a heart, when you were born, you had part of the human but then you decided to deny your own heart."

"But if I let my emotions interfered, how could I ruled the kingdom properly?" Saber looked at Merlin and asked.

"However, both of you have the same dream. Both want to achieve dreams beyond the reach of mankind. The dream of changing his destiny and changing the fate of the kingdom. Those two things are not much different." The contemplative expression returned to his usual cheerful expression. "Hey, why don't you give him a chance, I see you two have quite a lot in common, like... you're both inhuman, both like lions,..."

"I think you should go to sleep now, Merlin." Saber said.

"I see, so you should go to bed early too. Good night." Merlin went down to the first floor, leaving Saber still thinking.

~~~

Ziggurat, when Siduri just arrived.

"Your Majesty, it's this late and you're still working. This won't be good for your health!" When Siduri walked in, she found that Gilgamesh still reading reports. 

The king didn't seem to care much about the Siduri's advice, he asked: "How is the Chaldea?"

"Yes, I have taken them to a temporary house already. Before that, I met a girl who called herself the servant Saber of Mr Fujimaru. While Fujimaru was talking to you, she went to the city to get to know the people. It seems that people love her very much." Siduri explained.

"Oh, that woman is brave. Come to my country without seeing me." Gilgamesh said in an ironic tone.

"She told me that she's just Mr Fujimaru's weapon so there's no need to meet you." Siduri continued.

"Hmm, she knows her low self. Alright, you can go and rest now." Gilgamesh commanded.

"But your majesty..." Siduri worried.

"No need to worry, just go." Gilgamesh seemed to be angry.

"So please take a break soon." Siduri didn't know what to do so she left.

After Siduri was gone, Gilgamesh placed the report he was reading down, his face showing fatigue.

 _A weapon..._ He smirked. _Did you see that Enkidu, there is a mongrel also claim to be a weapon..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, because this is my first time writing a story, I'm still trying to find a way to make the story as vivid as possible. If there are any mistakes, please forgive me. Thank you for reading!


	4. Working and the first meeting

The next day, when Fujimaru woke up, it was already morning. The golden lights of sunshine pouring through the window woke him up. From the outside, the juicy voices of the people echoed. Thinking it was late, he ran downstairs to find Mash and Ana sitting and chatting.

"Sorry everybody, I overslept today. Has Siduri arrived yet?" Fujimaru asked, he breathed in short pants.

"Not yet Senpai, we have just woken up. Merlin is still sleeping. Saber has been training with General Leonidas, Ushi and Benkei since early morning." Mash said with a warm smile.

"Oh yeah, Saber has a match today with Leonidas. I want to go there to learn more but we will reach there later." Fujimaru breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sigh, why are you getting up so early?" Merlin, who was still yawning, slowly came out. He sounded sleepy.

"Have you woken up, Merlin? Sorry if we accidentally woke you up. But this morning we promised to help with the city affairs, would you come along?" Fujimaru offered.

"What would I do if I didn’t go? If I just sat here waiting for you to return, it would be very boring. Moreover, if Artoria knew it would scold me." Merlin said with a depressed face.

A moment later, Siduri arrived. She had prepared a lot of work for Fujimaru’s group. Those were just the daily work of Uruk people, so they did it skillfully and quickly. But for Fujimaru’s group, that was the first time they had been doing such a job, so there were many difficulties. However, they still tried their best and considered it as training exercises to prepare for the upcoming battles. They learned how to burn each brick and then put them together to create solid walls. The people here also guided them for necessary skills such as how to fish in the river, how to climb trees to pick fruits properly or how to repair broken furniture,… During the breaks, they had a fun time with the children here, playing tag, drawing on the ground,... All of them were innocent, innocent and always have a big smile. Afterwards, they harvested rice with the farmers (Ana’s weapon is useful in this).

Meanwhile, at the military encampment, General Leonidas was also giving soldiers time to rest. Saber then used this chance to help Master and the others. When not practising, she abandoned her battle armour and returned to the civilian clothes of the Uruk people. She was still not familiar with this outfit. But she had to admit that, aside from fighting, the dress was also quite entangled. In addition, if she wore this plain clothes, she could become closer to the people. When she desired to fight, she just needed to use her magic to create that dress quickly. In short, this outfit did not bring her any disadvantage.

Saber met everyone working in the field. The work was also half-finished. But while Master, Mash and Ana were working hard, she saw Merlin talking to a young woman nearby. Sensing something, Merlin hurriedly said goodbye to the strange girl. He was about to turn back to Fujimaru when he realized that Saber was standing right in front of him. She looked at Merlin with a serious gaze, her hands folded in front of her chest. Merlin saw that just stood smiling.

"Oh, you’re Kirki’s new friend. Didn’t we meet in the apple orchard yesterday? Do you remember me?" As if seeing a long-time acquaintance, the strange girl ran to hold Saber’s hand, her face smiling brightly.

"Of course, I still remember. You shared a lot of interesting things with me." Saber also grinned in return, one of her hands still being gripped by the girl, while her other hand reached behind her like she was holding something. It turned out that when Saber was absentmindedly talking to the girl, Merlin took advantage of the opportunity to run away. But Saber noticed. She quickly grabbed Merlin’s sleeve, causing him to go nowhere.

"Sorry but I’m a little busy at the moment. I will talk to you more next time." The strange girl understood nothing but seeing Saber and Merlin like that, she just smiled wryly, said goodbye and left.

Saber, one hand still holding Merlin’s sleeve, waited after the girl had left. She turned around, still with a serious face.

"So how are you going to explain this?" She asked.

"Sorry." With a bright smile, Merlin momentarily turned into flowers and disappeared.

This wasn't surprised Saber either. But her anger was increasing. She took a deep breath and told herself that she needed to calm down and go to help Master. She will deal with Merlin later.

Fujimaru, Mash, Ana and Saber worked so hard that they forgot about the time. It was only when the residents started coming home to rest that they realized it was noon. Saber and Ana returned to the embassy first while Master and Mash entered Ziggurat to report to the king what they had done and learned today. For Saber, Ana was a quiet person, but through the actions of Ana that she had witnessed until now, Saber realized that this girl was innocent. Normally she seemed to be cold-hearted, but it seemed that she just didn’t want to express herself. That’s why Saber always tried to talk to her. She wanted her to show more, wanted her to see the true beauty of this life.

Upon entering the house, the two girls saw Merlin sitting and drinking tea, waiting for them to return. Now that the anger in Saber’s heart had disappeared, she slowly walked in and sat down to talk.

"So you’re not angry with me anymore?" While pouring tea for two, Merlin asked.

Saber sighed. "How many times do I need to remind you to avoid causing trouble with women? If you’ve come here, you should help the Master a bit." She took a sip of tea and continued: "I only see you have a chance to leave that tower, you should do some meaningful things too." Merlin’s smile disappeared in a second and said: "Oh, my student knows how to care about me. Very good, Artoria. I'm proud of you!"

"Hello everyone, we’re back." Fujimaru’s voice came from outside. Mash and Siduri accompanied him.

"Welcome back. Master? Did General Leonidas, Ushi and Benkei not come with you?" Noticing that everyone still wasn’t present, Saber asked.

Through the words of Fujimaru and Siduri, it turned out that the three of them were still in ziggurat to hear new instructions from the king about the preparations for the upcoming war. So Siduri and the rest went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

~~~

Ziggurat.

"Leonidas, how are the soldiers?" From the majestic throne, the king asked.

"Your Majesty, the army is still very good. Their physique and skills are still improving day by day. All are in combat readiness." Leonidas said while still kneeling down.

"Besides, train the guys from Chaldea for me. They still have many weak points." The king held up a report that seemed to be related to the army.

"Yes, my king. I also had a match today to try them out. I gave Mash, Ana and Mr Fujimaru the right exercises for them. Please allow me to speak up. I see that the Servant of the Saber-class that Fujimaru carries is very strong. If she could duel with me, she would have been a blooming flower on the battlefield. She also gives very useful advice for soldiers." Leonidas reported.

"Is that a bastard? A man who trained 300 soldiers to fight against ten thousands of enemies like you also needed more advice?" The king pretended to be surprised.

"Thank you for appreciating me that much. But she is also a legendary king of England, who is famous for 12 unbeaten battles in 10 years, so certainly she trains the soldiers very well." Leonidas said.

Seemingly sure of something, a huge grin appeared on the king’s face. He seemed to stand up, but then regained his composure and commanded General Leonidas to leave. When he was alone, he laughed out loud:

"Fuahahaha. To think that girl came here. Hm Saber, choose a good name. Even I was almost fooled. I was sure that Fujimaru also brought a servant but did not expect that it's you. Very well, come here and become my queen, you've finally made your decision. You must still be embarrassed, so you haven't come to see me yet. Alright, I'll go there myself. Hahaha."

With an excited face, the king stood up and walked to the embassy. Suddenly a strong breeze blew, the goddess Ishtar appeared before Gilgamesh.

"It's you again. Didn't you break my ziggurat yesterday? What do you want now?" The king said with a bored face. "You really know how to ruin my joy."

It turned out yesterday during the first meeting between Fujimaru and Gilgamesh, Ishtar also appeared. She flew straight down from the sky and left ziggurat a big hole in the ceiling.

"Do you know your laughter echoes through the sky? As for that gap, just leave it there for me, every time I come here I have to go around." Seemingly aware that she was changing the topic, she quickly continued: "Where are you planning to go? I have never seen you smile like that since that person left."

Gilgamesh didn't seem to want to pay attention to Ishtar. When she was talking, he went to the door. Ishtar, knowing that, she was so angry, was about to turn to scold him when he glanced at her.

"Do I have to notify you wherever I go? Go away."

~~~

Embassy.

Leonidas had just come back. Everyone was preparing to enjoy lunch. Fujimaru suddenly remembered and asked Saber why she hadn't wanted to see King Gilgamesh. Saber wanted to avoid the question, but Merlin spoke before her: "Let me tell you a story about people trying to reach distant dreams." Noticing Saber's gaze, he suddenly stopped. "That story is a bit long, I will tell everyone later."

In an instant, Saber discovered a great source of magical power approaching the embassy. If everyone was here, the only person who could have that great magic power was... She stood up, asking Master's permission that she had an appointment with Kirki but she forgot, she needed to go now. Master and everyone was surprised at Saber's sudden decision, especially when the delicious food made by Siduri herself was still there. All were surprised except Merlin, who saw what was about to happen.

"Siduri, can you make me grilled lamb chops, it seems people still crave that from yesterday until now." Merlin echoed into the kitchen where Siduri was still making a teapot.

Saber had walked close to the door, and when she heard Merlin say that, she stopped. Looks like she didn't want to miss that delicious grilled rib. No, she had to leave before it was too late. She pretended not to hear and kept going outside.

"Siduri, sorry to bother you but could you make your special cake?" Merlin continued.

Cake... Siduri's special cake. It was so delicious that she couldn't resist. Realizing she was distracted again, she covered her ears with her hands and ran out the door where she hit someone. "Excuse me, ah!" In front of her stood a tall man, standing tall with a huge smile. "You... How do you know?" She was so surprised that she was almost speechless.

"Hahaha. I'm here to pick you up, Saber." The man said with a big smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I want to apologize to you. I expected to update weekly, but I was busy last week. Second, as usual, if I make mistakes, please point it out to me, I'll fix it right away. I want to write the following chapter which is interesting and meaningful. Hope you guys will look forward to it. This chapter I just want to do the lead so if it is not good, please forgive me. Please try to protect your health and those around you. Hope all the good things will come to you.


	5. The first date!

Saber could not believe her eyes, that the man standing before her was...

"King Gilgamesh? Why did you come here so suddenly?" It surprised not only Saber but everyone at the king’s appearance. They stood up, bowing respectfully.

"Didn't you hear anything? I came to pick up my queen. You should have been subjected to the proper punishment for daring to secretly bring my queen here. But well, I'll forgive you all because of this lovely appearance." Gilgamesh said.

After that, the king’s gaze turned to the king of knights who was still bewildered and a little wary.

"I didn’t expect that Uruk costume would suit you like that."

As Gilgamesh spoke, he approached Saber, wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tightly.

"Hahaha, let’s go!"

"Who wants to go with you? Go away!"

Saber tried to push Gilgamesh away, but she still couldn’t get rid of his hard arm. She really felt uncomfortable when he squeezed her like that.

"Huh, I just want to go around the city with my queen. Is that fine? Or do you want to go to ziggurat to stay with me?" He smirked.

"Why must I follow you? Let me go! And stop calling me your queen, I’m not!"

Saber still hasn’t given up on escaping Gil’s arms. She said angrily.

"You don’t want to be called a queen but want to be called my wife. So it would be more intimate, right? I understand what you mean, very well. Come on, my wife!"

Without letting Saber say anything, Gilgamesh laughed and pulled her away.

"Ah, Mas-Master!"

Saber reached out to Fujimaru as if hoping for some help. Unfortunately, it happened so quickly that no one could say anything. The only one who understood everything was Merlin. He just watched and waved with a usual smile.

It was around noon. The sky was not sunny but only the rays were soft enough to make people feel comfortable. The city was no longer bustling inherent anymore, almost everyone had gone home to rest. On the streets, we could only see the small number of people who were still working. There were mostly the figures of children playing with endless laughter.

For the rest of people still remain in the market, they were used to such a sparse noon. But that noon was different for them-they saw their king. Another strange thing for them was that, while everyone stood up, looked at the king and bowed respectfully, there was a girl who went from stall to stall to see things. She didn't look much different from the kids. She didn't seem to know whether the king was walking right behind her, or because she knew, but she didn't want to notice. Yes, that girl was Saber. She did not want to go with Gilgamesh at all but she loved going around the city, so she decided to enjoy the trip and ignore him.

"Ah, grandma Azia! Don't you take a break? Let me help you!"

From afar, Saber saw the familiar silhouette of an old woman groping with water. She immediately ran over, asked the old lady and held the water jug, finishing the rest for her. The flowers were watered as if given vitality, rising to bloom in the sunshine, proudly showing off their beauty.

Feeling something touch her shoulder, Saber turned to look. It turned out Gilgamesh was looking at which flower colour would suit her best. He held each bouquet up, thought it over and then gave her a huge bouquet of blue roses, about 50 flowers.

"Take it. And here is your money, no need to return the change, use it to repair the shop." Gilgamesh said.

After Saber hugged the bouquet, Gilgamesh took out a small piece of gold from his Gate of Babylon and handed it to grandma Azia. The old woman was still very confused, trying to find a way to return it to the king but he was gone.

"Please keep it. It's his goodwill, anyway. Oh, excuse me, I have to go. Bye, see you later!"

Saying that, Saber hurriedly hugged the bouquet and ran after Gilgamesh. The bouquet was quite large, so she had to run while watching the road or else she could stumble or bump into other people at any time. Realizing the familiar path, she noticed Gilgamesh was heading to the apple orchard where she worked the day before.

"Hey, I don't need your gift, what did you give me a big bouquet of flowers for?" Saber asked.

"I just do what I like. So let me ask you. Why do you keep that bouquet without taking it back to the store or throwing it away? Well, I want to see the garden sitter to ask about this year's crop. If you want to do anything, do it but remember to wait for me, otherwise, I will pinion you next time." Gilgamesh reminded.

"How dare you... " Saber gritted her teeth.

"We arrived, remember what I said." Gilgamesh reminded Saber once again.

Gilgamesh headed deep into the garden and Saber with the bouquet were still standing outside. The bouquet was too big, so she could go nowhere.

'"Ah, Saber, why are you here now?"

Seeing the figure of a new friend from afar, Kirki ran over happily.

"Why are you with the king? Are these flowers given by him? Wow, you're so happy!"

Kirki whispered to Saber while giggling.

"Here, take it. I don't need that guy's gift. This bouquet is also exquisite so I can't throw it away. Let's treat it as a gift I bought for you and the people who helped me out yesterday. I know this gift is a bit temporary, but I will buy a more kind gift later."

She handed the bouquet to her friend, then folded her arms, turned away, and whispered.

"He even asked why not take back the bouquet? Who needs it?"

"Huh?" Kirki still didn't know what to do with the bouquet when a voice came from behind.

"Hey, Saber!"

Called abruptly, Saber turned around to find 3 apples thrown at her. She quickly caught it exactly.

"Hahaha, nice catch! Take it and eat. I have chosen it for you." Gilgamesh said with a laugh.

It turned out while walking into the apple orchard, Gilgamesh noticed that he arrived just as Saber was about to have lunch. Thinking his queen would be hungry, he chose some apples to give her to eat temporarily. Just like the last time, he didn't let her say anything but went right away.

"Why does he have to throw it? Can't he give me anything decent?" Saber muttered as if telling herself.

"You should follow him, otherwise he will have to wait."

Kirki saw that her friend was still, so she urged, saying as she gently pushed from behind. "Haizz, ok." Saber rolled her eyes. "Remember to take care of yourself. I have to go. Goodbye."

The market had gradually returned to the bustling atmosphere. The more bustling the city was, the happier Saber felt. She was happy to see everyone's smiles. It made her naturally smile as well.

Gilgamesh also noticed that smile. That was the first time he saw Saber's smile. _"The king never smiled for his own joy but always smiled for others."_ That was exactly what he had heard but now witnessed. That smile was beautiful, but for him, it was also a sadness. That woman, running after an unreachable ideal, was the one who was born to be his wife.

Not only was Saber happy, for Gilgamesh, this trip was more enjoyable than usual, at least since his only friend left. But he never showed that minor pleasure. All they saw in him was his usual arrogant smile.

Occasionally, Gilgamesh would glance at Saber, as if she still had a precaution against what he had given. He saw her pick up the apples and examine them carefully.

"Huh, are you afraid it's poisoned in there?" He talked first.

"How can I trust you?" Saber glanced.

Suddenly, she felt her stomach rang. It's true that a servant need not eat, but... She was hungry.

"Come on, are you hungry? Eat it. The apples I have chosen myself, how could it not be delicious?" Gilgamesh urged.

"Okay. If something happens to me, I will kill you." She held up an apple and was about to take a bite.

"Ah, Saber! Come and play with us. Come here, come here! Hurry, ah, we salute the king!"

There were 3 children playing together. When they saw Saber coming from afar, they came happily. The two of them pulled with her hands, and one of them pulled her from behind, pulling and urging. It took a while for them to notice the king's appearance.

"Okay, okay, calm down, what are you playing?" Saber responded with a gentle smile.

"Do you remember the story of the hero who saved the princess you told us the other day? Thanks to that story, we came up with this game. Look." One of the children said and point at the game they were playing.

The children's game was very simple. It was almost like a chessboard of stones with pebbles that are chess pieces.

"This is the prince, and the princess is here. To get to the place where the princess was captured, you have to do this to cross the river, and then this way to defeat the monster,..."

The children quickly explained how to play. Although the chessboard looked simple, their imagination was not simple at all.

"So that..." Saber also gradually understood the rules of the children.

"So you have to go up and left like this, right?"

Gilgamesh peered at the board and moved a pebble.

"Ah, the king is so smart! You are so smart!" The children clapped incessantly, showing admiration.

"I know. Being able to think of such a game proves that you guys are good too. Remember, always try to study to help the country, do you understand?" Gilgamesh smiled and said.

"Yes, of course!" The children shouted.

"That was..." Saber seemed to be surprised.

It was the first time she saw Gilgamesh's smile. It was still arrogant but mixed with a little gentleness. She was so surprised that she kept staring at the king and the children without speaking.

"Play, I have to go. Come on, Saber." Once again, the king stood up and went first.

"Haizz, this guy..." Saber said as she shook her head.

"Well, do you want to eat apples? They are good for your health. Here, each one takes one. I'll go." Saber gave all 3 apples she had to the children.

The children quickly thanked her and waved to say goodbye.

"So where are you going? We have already gone to quite a lot of places." Saber said.

"Oh, you said it first, isn't that a good progress? Hahaha. Come what may." Gilgamesh laughed.

"Is that your answer?" Saber looked bored, but she had to admit that this trip wasn't too bad.

Time passed quickly, and quickly, the sun was slowly setting down.

"Ah, Sain. Are you still working? Let me help you!" Saber suddenly ran to a nearby store.

Gilgamesh didn't know why, but he had an unpleasant feeling. Nothing had happened before his eyes, so he decided to stand by.

"I saw you again, this is also considered fate, right? You still look so beautiful. Today we have sped up the work, so this is the last transport. You need not help. By the way, I have something for you."

Sain took out a beautiful blue ribbon from his pocket.

"I helped one of my sisters the other day and I was rewarded with this... I don't know what to use it for, it's like your hairband so please take it."

Sain said as he gave the ribbon to Saber.

Saber had just taken the present when she heard a soft yet familiar sound coming from somewhere. She had heard that sound so many times. That was...

"Sain, where does that harp sound come from?" Seemingly aware of the familiar sound, she quickly asked.

"Well, there's a small band in this alley. They have all kinds of musical instruments like harp, flute, oud,... In fact, this gentle, soaring sound is also suitable for dancing."

As Sain spoke, he took the Saber hand in one hand, hugged her with one hand, and swayed to the music.

"Um... Sain... Can you let me go?" Saber felt uncomfortable but didn't know how to get out of this situation.

"Hey, that's enough.'" Gilgamesh finally said. He walked over, separated the two of them and stood in front of Saber, turning his back to her, looking at Sain with angry eyes.

"What do you want to do with my woman? Do you want to disappear from this world right now?"

Gilgamesh spoke in a steely voice. Suddenly, a small knife appeared in his hand.

"You too." Still, with an angry voice, he turned behind but couldn't see Saber anymore. He rolled his eyes to find her, then he saw her at the river.

"From now on, if you dare to approach that woman, this knife will be inserted into you, don't blame me for not warning. Know your position, mongrel." Gilgamesh said angrily. 

After saying that, Gilgamesh put away the knife and headed for the river bank where Saber came to and saw a machine with parts made of wood. At first glance, it was quite complicated, but if you look closely, the way it worked was very simple. Saber was gazing at it and talking with the two young men.

"What is this for?" Gilgamesh walked over and asked.

"Your Majesty. My brother and I are looking for ways to take advantage of the water to help the people."One of the boys said. 

After that, the older brother explained the principle of the machine carefully to the king and the younger brother took a large bucket to scoop water from the river and pour it into the machine to test it.

"Hey Gilgamesh, you did nothing to Sain, right?"

Remembering the story just now, Saber turned to look at Gilgamesh, asking.

"Do you still want to talk about that? I almost caused that mongrel to be amputated." Gil sneered and then spoke in an icy voice.

"Can't you be less tempered?" Saber sighed. 

("Bro, help me!" The younger brother's voice came from afar. His body looked skinny, and he carried a big bucket that looked pitiful.)

Seeing that, Saber did not hesitate to run to help, but suddenly...

"Ah..." The little brother shouted. The water bucket was too big for him to see the path under his feet so he stumbled on a stone. He fell and the bucket of water also slipped from his hand, flying forward and splashing on Saber, making her soaked from head to toe. The younger brother quickly stood up and ran to apologize profusely.

"No, no, I'm okay. You don't have to apologize." Saber said with a smile to calm him down. 

"Hahaha, Saber, you look so beautiful. Unexpectedly, I could be so happy today. Hahaha" A loud voice spoke. Gilgamesh approached Saber, clapping his hands and laughing incessantly as if to provoke her.

"I don't like being caught in clothes, but if it's a woman, I really like it. Hahaha." Gilgamesh put his arm on her shoulder.

Saber was very angry, but she couldn't use her sword to fight Gigamesh, so she thought of something else. Waiting for Gil to get close enough, while he was still laughing, she took all her strength and pushed him into the river.

"Who is the wetter now?" Waiting for Gilgamehs to come up and understand what just happened, Saber approached, sat down and spoke in a challenging tone. Without waiting for Gilgamesh to say anything, she was about to get up and go ahead when suddenly, Gilgamesh grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the river with him. Pulled down abruptly, Saber tried to rise into the water, reaching for the shoulder of the king of heroes, clinging to it and slowly clinging to the river bank.

"Hm, so you can walk on water but that doesn't mean you can swim." Gilgamesh said sarcastically.

Seeing the king and Saber both falling into the river, the two brothers rushed to help pull them ashore. The older brother offered to help the king, but he said there was no need and the younger brother helped Saber. The younger brother pulled her up with both hands, and the older brother also helped by putting his hands on her sides and lifting her up. Gilgamesh also saw that. He felt furious when he saw another man touching his queen. But this time, he said nothing, he just looked bored and walked quietly ahead.

Once on the shore, Saber thanked the two brothers and noticed that Gilgamesh was a bit ahead. He were still soaked. So was she. She quickly said goodbye to the brothers and then followed. Wait until the two brothers went back to test the machine, no longer paying any attention to her, and Gilgamesh didn't come to the market either. Saber stopped for a moment. She made her sword appear, say something and swing the sword in one hit. Suddenly, a strong wind blew around her and Gil, causing them to become dry again, and then it disappeared.

Everything was done. Saber took away her sword and then followed Gilgamesh into the market. At this moment, she saw him approaching some small retail stores and pharmacies. Nearby, she also saw the figure of a boy, very familiar. Once she recognized the boy, she ran faster, intending to talk to him before he left. Looks like that boy wanted to say hello to the king too, so he just goes ahead to him. Gilgamesh was still talking to the store owner, so he didn't pay attention to that boy either. Saber had also seen Gilgamesh's gentle smile when he talked to the children, so she thought it would be okay if he and the boy talked. Even if he was lucky, that boy could be help by the king...

Feeling some strang signs came out of the boy, Saber paused for a moment to look. Yes, that boy was so weird. Worrying, she rushed over to Gilgamesh, running and shouting at the same time.

"Hey, Gilgamesh!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can finally come back. This chapter ... can I call it the first date? Does the last paragraph make you a bit confusing?  
> Ah, right, I have something to tell you. Do you know, in fact, depending on the number of flowers inside a bouquet that will have different meanings:  
> -A flower means: "Love at first sight."  
> -3 flowers means: "Confess."  
> -11 flowers means: "First love."  
> -50 flowers means: "Eternity."  
> -99 flowers means: "Eternal love."  
> -100 flowers means: "Being together for the rest of our lives."  
> -108 flowers means: "Marry me."  
> -365 flowers means: "I love you every day so much."  
> -999 flowers means: "No matter how many times I am born, I will love you."  
> *In Fate / Zero Next Encounter, Gilgamesh holds a bouquet of 11-flowered roses, dressed in the royal wedding costume of England.  
> *The appropriate number of flowers for him to give according to the content of most Fate's stories is 11, 108 and 999.  
> That is all I know. Hope you enjoy the story!  
> *P / s: in this chapter, I use some sayings in doujinshi 'kinken + mizu' which means gilsaber + water. If needed, I'll find the link and send it to you later.


	6. An unexpected accident

Saber ran faster. She worried. No, she scared. No, it didn't matter anymore.

The boy approached Gilgamesh. He raised his right arm to the sky, holding something in his palm.

Saber were still running. She tried to push through the crowd. It seemed that nobody cared about a little boy. Or maybe he was too short and small that nobody could see him.

"Hey, Gilgamesh! Watch out!" Saber shouted.

"..."

Saber finally caught up with Gilgamesh. She pushed the boy down to the ground. Just a few seconds ago, the boy held a small knife in his palm, intended to stab the king from behind.

The boy's fall made a big attention to everyone. People around him stood back, their faces showed clearly how scared they were. Weirdly, the boy fell but he didn't say anything. He just stood up slowly, his palm still held the knife steady. Once again, he moved toward the king, but this time, he ran.

Gilgamesh turned back quickly after he had heard the voice of Saber. Immediately understood what happened, he made 2 chains appeared from Gate of Babylon and tied his arms.

"How dare you? What do you think you're doing, mongrel?" Gilgamesh said angrily.

The boy kept his head down. He seemed to say something but no one could hear that. Then he kept silence. His arms tried to escape from the chain but it's no use.

"Fi-Filia, please stop... Listen to me, please." Saber said with a sad voice.

The boy whom Saber met yesterday, now standing in front of her with empty eyes. She didn't know what to do but tried to convince him.

"Do you remember me, Filia?" Saber asked as she slowly approached the boy still be tied with 2 chains.

It looked like Filia could understand what Saber said. He slowly loosen himself. The knife seemed to fall down from his palm. 

"Gilgamesh, can you unleash the chain, please?" Saber turned back and looked at Gilgamesh with sad eyes.

"Are you sure? He can attack you anytime!" Gilgamesh asked.

Saber didn't say anything. She just nodded lightly. Gilgamesh sighed and take back the chain. The boy was unleashed then sat down on the ground. Saber came closer, tried to talk to him. Unfortunately, Filia looked at Saber, still with empty eyes, and ran to her. He had changed the target immediately.

There was some blood on the ground. Luckily, it was not a serious wound, just a scratch on her stomach caused by the grazed knife. Thanks to Gilgamesh, he had noticed the boy's intention so he used the chain again, wrapped around Saber hand and pulled her into his arms, embraced her tightly.

"Now, get lost, mongrel!" Gilgamesh shouted.

Suddenly, there were many weapons appeared, surrounded the boy. Everyone stood around then became such frightened that they ran away. Weapons were ready to be thrown. The boy then stood still, staggered and collapsed to the ground.

"Filia, Filia, are you ok? Wake up!" Saber escaped from Gilgamesh's arms and ran fastly to Filia.

The boy didn't seem to be awake so Saber worriedly carried Filia in her arms and ran into the nearest infirmary. The physician said that he was malnourished. About what happened just them, he didn't know anything about it. When the physician went out, Saber looked at Filia and sighed. A moment later, Filia's eyes opened slowly. His eyes shined like sapphires and he had a playful look just like the first time Saber met him. Seeing Saber sat beside and rubbed his head, he surprised and asked:

"Oh, you're the pretty sis I've met before. Why am I here? And what are you doing here?"

Saber didn't know what to tell him. It seemed that Filia didn't remember what he had done.

"I have seen you fell unconscious on the street so I brought you here. What happened?" Saber smiled and said.

Filia hesitated for a while and answered:

"It's nothing. I remember that I was going home from the forge. While crossing the market, I saw a beautiful hairpin, it must suit my mother. I intended to ask the price of it so that I can save money to buy. After that... I don't remember." Filia seemed to have a slight headache.

"You're such dutiful to your mother, ah, now I know the meaning of your name. Here, I have some money, take it and go buy something for your mother. I'm sure she will be very happy!" Saber said as she gave Filia a pocket of money.

"No! How can I take the money that you work hard to earn them! I want to make money by myself!" In front of Saber's kindness, Filia confused, shook his head continuously.

Saber took Filia's skinny hand, opened his palm and put the pocket of money into it. She hold it tightly.

"I know you're a nice kid, but listen to me. If you want to make money so you can take care of your mother, you have to be strong, right? But today you're not well at all. What does your mother do if you get sick? She must be very worried. You don't want to make her sad, do you?" Saber said slowly.

It seemed that Saber's words had convinced Filia. He turned his head down, thought for a while and then embraced Saber, cried out loud as well as thanked her profusely.

Receiving the surprised hug, Saber was confused a little bit. Filia's left arm grazed past her wound, made her feel some pain. But that pain couldn't compare with a beautiful soul hugging her, so she decided to comfort Filia by rubbing his head.

There was a person still watching from the beginning - Gilgamesh. He had been angry at what had happened but he knew that Filia didn't do that on purpose. Besides, he had just seen the real personality of Filia so he decided to forgive him. Realizing the noisy crowd out there, discussing in a curious and afraid way, Gilgamesh intended to go out and calm their nerves. But he had to think about one logical reason. He himself didn't know exactly why that had happened. Why could an innocent boy can turned into a murderer? Oh, yes, the knife that Filia hold. Maybe there were some clues behind the knife and it was still out there on the ground.

Gilgamesh stepped out, picked up the knife and raised his voice:

"All my people, you can return to the normal life now. It is getting dark, finish your job quickly and go home. About what happened, it was just an accident. That boy wanted to join my army but he is underage, so that I couldn't allow him. But he challenged me, he wanted me to admit him so that I accept it. The country protection is important, but you can't disregard your life like that boy. If you silly enough to challenge the king, you'll die. Is everything clear?"

"Yes, my king!" Everyone said in unison.

Back to the infirmary, Filia had gone home. At that time, Saber started to care about her wound. Blood continued to ooze from it. Although it was a small scratch, she could feel something strange.

From outside, Gilgamesh reminded Saber that it was dark outside and he also needed to return to Ziggurat in order to finish some works.

Saber stood up. She closed her eyes, concentrated her mana and created the long dress that she wore in battle. She didn't want Master or anyone knew about what happened so she decided to hide the wound.

"Huh, you don't want those mongrels to know about that? How is the wound? I see that it's abnormal." Gilgamesh asked.

Saber and Gilgamesh walked side by side. She looked up the sky and answered:

"It's fine. I don't want to notice a small scratch. It will recover itself tomorrow."

Saber lied. That wound was really abnormal. Both Saber and Gilgamesh knew that. Every seconds past, she felt something changed inside her body but she tried to act as usual. Afterwards, she couldn't hide it. When she came half the way home, she lost her balance and had to lean on the nearest wall.

"Hm. If I'm not wrong, that wound can suck your mana. There is one and only way to fix it temporarily. You have to tell that mongrel to supply you with mana through the magic pulse, don't use your own reserve. Otherwise, you'll disappear." Gilgamesh said as he folded his arms.

"I have told you, there's no need to do that. I can do everything as normal." Saber looked at Gilgamesh with insistence eyes.

Saber intended to go to Embassy but she staggered and almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, Gilgamesh caught her. He lifted her up, held her in his arms and headed to the Embassy. She was so surprised that she tried to push Gilgamesh and keep telling him to let her down but she was too tired. After a while, she kept silence, In front of Saber's resistance, Gilgamesh didn't say anything, he held her even tighter.

"Please... Don't tell anyone about this..." Saber whispered.

Saying that, Saber eyes closed slowly. Before falling asleep, she had heard something beat faster and faster, maybe it came from where she based on. Unfortunately, she didn't have conscious to know what exactly it was.

"What a stubborn woman." Gilgamesh said as if he talked to himself.

It was dark. Everyone in the Embassy were worried because Gilgamesh and Saber hadn't returned yet. Of course, they knew that if there were enemy, they would be informed. Moreover, everything would be fine if King Gilgamesh came along.

"My King, welcome back!" Siduri said happily.

"But Saber? What happened to her?" Noticed the girl in Gilgamesh's arms, Siduri asked.

Fujimaru as well as people in the Embassy worried, stood around Gilgamesh asking.

"She's fine. She just has been tired after a long day. Stay away! I'll carry her upstairs so that she can rest." Gilgamesh said. His look was cold as usual.

No one said anything, quietly stepped backwards, paved the way for the king. As for Merlin, his face showed the seriousness as if thinking something.

"Ah, don't we wake her up to have dinner?" Fujimaru asked.

"No need. Ignore her. You all can have dinner by yourself." Gilgamesh stopped for a while, answered and then kept going. He even didn't turn back to see Fujimaru.

Gilgamesh put Saber on a wooden bed. Saber's face winced suddenly. Her fighting dress that she made by mana then vanished slowly, showed her wound. Gilgamesh stared at her and took a thin cloth from GoB, covered her body. After that, he turned on her heels and walked toward Ziggurat without talking to anybody.

It was midnight. The stars shined happily, sometimes they flickered as if playing a game. The citizens were falling asleep. In Ziggurat, the light of candles were still shining. The king continued to work. He read each report on the stones slowly and plunged into many thoughts.

"Your Majesty, please take time to eat something. You've worked continuously since you came back." Siduri came in with some food.

"Why are you so hasty. I can't die because of overwork. Go and rest yourself." Gilgamesh said calmly.

"Please care about your health, my king. At least please stop working for a while." Siduri implored.

"Ok, I'll make concession this time. I'm going for a walk." Gilgamesh made the decision quickly.

"You're going for a walk at midnight?" Siduri surprised.

"Yes. It's my decision."

Ignoring Siduri's worry, there was a big problem need to worry in the king's head. Saber. The knife. The boy. Why had that happened? He headed to the Embassy with a heavy head.

The streets at night were deserted. There was no other light than the moonlight illuminated the whole city. Gilgamesh walked upstairs to see Saber but she wasn't there. He came up with a place. He headed to the rooftop. He walked slightly that no one could hear his footsteps.

"Huh, what is...?" Gilgamesh stopped as he heard something coming from the roof.

Did Gilgamesh hear singing? Or a melody? Yes. Saber was standing on the roof, looking at the city and humming a song to herself. That was such a sad song that whoever heard it for the first time had to be heart-rending. But what made Gilgamesh pay attention to was Saber's costume. Her fighting dress again...

"What's wrong? Watching my city makes you sad?" Gilgamesh approached Saber.

"I don't know why this song run through my mind. When I was in Britain, there was one of my knights always played this song by his harp. It must be very miserable to be a knight served under my command, right?" Saber said, she fleered as if mocking at herself.

"I don't interested in being your knight, but I know being the queen of this country is very enjoyable." Gilgamesh fold his arms and said.

"You're really beyond remedy. Anyway, I have to thank you for what you've done to help me today. I'll find a way to repay you later." Saber smiled.

The air at night made human feel comfortable. The pleasant moonlight, the naughty wind passed through the hair. When human went to sleep, it's time for the animal world to relive. Together, they made a beautiful symphony. The moonlight could even be embellished by the light of fire-fly. How peaceful was that sight. From the top of the two-floor house, there were two people who tried to feel that peace.

"So you love watching the stars. Hm, someday if we have a chance, I'll take you to the top of Ziggurat so that you can see the whole city." Gilgamesh talked first, broke the silence.

"Really, can I? I think that would be great!" Saber excitedly said.

"Hou, look at your face. Don't be like a child. As I remember, you haven't eaten anything since this afternoon, have you? The same goes for me. Wanna try my cooking?" Gilgamesh talked first, broke the silence.

"You know how to cook???" Saber looked at Gilgamesh with a doubtful look.

"You have looked down on me all this time, haven't you? Why do you think those mongrels out there call me 'The Wise King'?" Gilgamesh said arrogantly.

"Well then, show me what you've got!" Saber smiled and jumped from the roof to the ground in a soft way. She didn't want to wake everyone up.

A few seconds later, Gilgamesh reached the ground, too and headed to the kitchen along with Saber. As if to show off, Gilgamesh did the cooking in a very skilful and arty way. However, the taste was far from expected. It was as good as Siduri's cook, even better. Saber couldn't help eating continuously. It made her feel good, just like winning a battle. Or perhaps she was very hungry that the food tasted better. But there's no way she could deny the Wise King's cooking talent.

As for Gilgamesh, when he tasted the food he cooked by himself, his face showed no interest so he didn't eat much. In the other direction, he was very surprised by the smile of his queen. He had no idea that food could also make people smile like that. Just by seeing that smile made him feel better. It was like every tiredness he had had, now vanished.

After finishing the meal, Saber stood up, took the dishes and headed to the kitchen to do the washing up. Before that, she had told the king to return to Ziggurat 'cause it was too late. Gilgamesh didn't say anything. He stood up, too and headed to the entrance.

When the washing up was done, Saber intended to rest for a while. Suddenly, she felt something strange and propped her hands to the table stone on the kitchen to keep balance. Her fighting dress vanished. Her legs almost collapsed.

There was someone who used his arms to hug Saber from behind. She could even felt his breath, his heartbeat.

"Why are you trying to hide it from me?" The man whispered.

"Gi-Gilgamesh? You haven't returned yet? But I myself had seen you left..." Saber shouted.

"Be quiet! You don't want to make those mongrels awake, do you? Let me see your wound." Gilgamesh covered Saber's mouth. He made Saber turn around to look at him and examine her wound. It seemed to be worse. There were so many black scratches appeared from the first scratch. They were just like branches of the tree. Saber blushed for a moment. That was the first time she had seen the serious face of Gilgamesh. Besides, one of his arms put around her back to keep her balance, while the other arm touch her wound. After a minute, Gilgamesh looked straight on Saber's eyes and said:

"You know how bad is this, right? I repeat again: If you don't tell that mongrel to supply your mana through the magic pulse, you'll vanish. And I don't want anything like that to happen, are we clear? First, you must rest tomorrow, the entire day. Don't you dare to go out, I'll punish you. Now, go and get some sleep. I'll bring you upstairs. Understand?"

As usual, Saber didn't have a chance to say anything. She quietly let Gilgamesh fold her in his arms, went upstairs and watched him leave...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back. What do you think about this chapter? This is the first turning-point of this fic, I guest. Honestly, I don't want Saber to be hurt but this is the Holy Grail War no matter what. Ah, how are you these days? I hope you're all fine in this COVID 19 disease. We're all in this together. Cheer up, everyone! Please find your pleasure! Good luck!


	7. The truth

It had been a few days since the last time Gilgamesh and Saber met each other. As a king, Gilgamesh had to deal with many problems that he couldn’t leave Ziggurat for 1 second. Meanwhile, the Chaldean still practiced and helped the citizen every day.

Back to Saber, thanks to the trip around the city, she found an interesting place that she usually came there. She had also been given the aid so that the wound wasn’t made her displeased anymore. Of course, If “he” hadn’t helped, not only the wound would have been found out by Master but also Saber couldn’t move easily like this. But it was just a secret help. He hadn’t told her, but Saber could easily find out. Although receiving a big aid like that, Saber didn’t give to him a proper thanks yet. Maybe the aid this time was too big for her to express her thankful just by words. Someone had told her when she still alive that pure words couldn’t show the genuine feelings of oneself.

“Good morning, everyone. I am looking forward to working with all of you today. Please help me once again.” Saber said as she came to a small house but full of sunshine and laughter.

Saber’s thought was broken when she came here. Yes, this was a new place where she had found her joy. This was the place of the band practicing every day and sometimes performed on the street. The citizens here really loved to enjoy this band’s performances. That was precisely the band which Sain had told her before. She had had Sain show her the way to this house and she then attended to this house every day, to learn how to play the harp.

It seemed that the band had been invited to a big occasion 2 days after so they were practicing very hard. However, they still chose to continue to teach Saber about the harp. What a kind-hearted people! In general, Saber was a quick learner, she had contributed to their songs many times so they’d made a daring decision. They would have Saber to be a reservist.

While waiting for them to finish practice, Saber continued her thoughts. The pure word can not show the genuine feelings. Think about it, did she have normal emotions of people? If she had been exactly like when she was alive, a king didn’t understand human’s heart, she would have said everything she thought without thinking what the opposites feel about it. So why did she have to think carefully before saying thanks to someone now? “The king doesn’t understand human feelings.” She always remembered that. She also remembered the day that the knight left Camelot with a sad face. She accepted it as one of her sins. She didn’t hate that knight or she could say that he was the brave knight who showed her biggest mistake. Right then, when she knew about the band and learned to play the harp, wasn’t it right that it was thanks to him? Maybe she had changed because she’d met many kind-hearted people such as Master and Mash when she came to Chaldea.

“Saber, let’s practice together!” A woman called Saber. She stood up, took the harp, and sank in melodies.

It was noon. The band had invited Saber to eat lunch with them, but she refused it gently. At Chaldea Embassy, the lunch was fulled of laughter like every day. When they had finished eating, Leonidas came up with the idea of playing arm wrestling. He made everyone joined him, but no one could beat him easily.

“Siduri, have you done yet? Many peoples want to discuss with you about the finance to build dyke. I’ve written everything in the report, just follow exactly what I mentioned and give them golds from the national budget.” Gilgamesh’s voice came from the entrance.

The competition was delayed for a moment. Everyone stood up and greeted the king. Siduri immediately ran out, bowed respectfully.

“You, go out with me. I have something to ask you.” Gilgamesh said as he pointed to Saber.

This time, seeing the serious look on Gilgamesh’s face, Saber didn’t object to him. She just walked to the entrance and asked what he had needed, but then she was dragged.

“Show me the way to Filia’s house. I want to know clearly what happened. Do you want to come along?” Gilgamesh asked on the way.

“It has been days since that accident happened. I also feel much better now. There’s no need to put pressure on him anymore.” Saber stopped and said.

“So what is that?” Gilgamesh pointed to her wound. It had been hide under a thin fabric. Saber don’t want anyone knew about her wound so she had found a small fabric with the color exactly like her skirt and roll it around her belly and then tie a cute little knot.

“I do accept that you’ve felt better. But if you don’t find the way to cure it, who knows when it will become worse? Why are you so opinionated? Just listen to what I say and say nothing else.” Gilgamesh seemed to be angry.

Hearing that Saber didn’t talk anymore. She didn’t angry ‘cause she knew that Gilgamesh did that for her sake, but honestly, she still felt a bit uncomfortable. She led the king through some three-way crossroads and came to a narrow alley. Deep inside that alley was where Filia’s house was placed. No one could see his house just by looking from the main road. The house was tiny, too. It had only 2 compartments. There was nothing worth in his house. The outer one had some wooden chairs and a small table. It also had an old bed where Filia’s ailing mother lay. When Gilgamesh and Saber came in, Filia was cooking some plain rice gruel for his mother. Like any other citizen. When he saw the king, he stood up too quickly that he almost brandished his arms to the pot. His mother wanted to sit up, too, but she was too tired so she just lay down and salute the king. Filia turned off the stove and asked the guests why they came there.

“The king wants to ask you something. Please endeavor to cooperate. I afraid that this will make your mother worried, so can you and the king talk in another place?” Saber said as she sat on her heels and rub Filia’s head.

Filia nodded. He ran to his mother to tell her not too anxious and came to the internal compartment along with Gilgamesh.

“Good afternoon. I’m Saber, one of Filia’s friends. How are you these days? Sorry for coming so suddenly. We just want to ask him some questions. Please don’t worry.” Seeing the mother lying on the bed threw a worrying look to her son, Saber sat down on the bed, took her hands, and said.

“Oh, so you’re my son’s friend. Sometimes I am afraid that he will have no friends because of me. Please take care of him for me.” The mother spoke with an exhausted look.

“Yes, I will. As I remember, Filia was cooking some soup for you, wasn’t he? Please stay here and sleep for a while. I’ll go to the market and buy some food for you. I’ll be right back, okay?”

Saber said and stood up, quickly ran away, left behind the mother was putting up her hand, and trying to stop her.

~~~

“Kid, let’s go straight to the main point. Do you remember the day you fainted?” Gilgamesh asked.

Filia said nothing, just nodded. His face showed that he was anxious.

“So, tell me about that day, from the beginning.” Gilgamesh continued.

“Yes. That day, when I was going home from the forge. While crossing the market, I saw a beautiful hairpin…” Filia spoke slowly.

“Stop. I heard that. But that’s not what I want to hear. I want you to tell me the truth.” Gilgamesh stopped Filia immediately.

“But I’m telling the truth…” Filia said with a frightened face.

“You’re still denying it?” Gilgamesh almost beat the table but he suddenly remembered the mother sleeping outside so he tried to calm down.

“I know what you said to Saber the previous day was not the truth. If you still resist that, show me the way to the place where you intend to buy the hairpin. I want to ask the shopkeeper.” Gilgamesh lower his voice and said.

Filia opened his eyes circularly. He was very surprised. At that time, he looked like a thief was being found out.

“H-how did you know?” He stammered.

“I will ask you some questions. They’re easy so if you don’t be honest, take the punishment. The first question is, do you still work at the forge?"

“Y-Yes. I am trying my best to learn how to forge the weapon, so I can help my country and make money to take care of my mom.” Filia said as if he whispered to himself.

“Ok. I’ll suppose what I’m hearing is true. The next and final question. Do you know what did you do after I had fainted you?” Gilgamesh nodded and asked.

“About that, according to what Saber told me…” Filia seemed to remember something.

“That woman lied to you,” Gilgamesh said with an icy voice.

“What are you talking about?” Filia gave his king a surprised look.

“You’ve already seen her wound, haven’t you? It was you who took the knife and tried to stab me and Saber. You haven’t known about it, am I right?” The king wanted Filia to face the truth.

“What???” Filia stood up. “A-Are you alright? I-I am sorry. I didn’t mean to- I never dare to do that. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Please.” Filia said as if he would cry.

“Sit down. That’s why I have to come here to find you. Of course, I have no wound but Saber, you’ve left her a serious wound. To cure that, I have to know the true story that you hide from us.” Gilgamesh seemed a bit worried.

“I’m glad you’re fine. But I have to apologize to Saber once I meet her. So, the truth is…”

~~~

Saber stepped out of the entrance. She was both walking and thinking about what to buy to make Filia and his mother have a proper meal. If she was not wrong, the last time they had a full meal was exactly the last time Saber met him, the day that accident happened. Sometimes she tormented herself because she couldn’t do much to help Filia.

“Oh, Saber, is it?”

"Eh?" A voice lifted and pulled Saber back to reality.

"As I said, it seems that the gods want us to meet each other. What are you doing in this small alley?"

"Oh, I am-"

No sooner had Saber said a single word than Sain came closer, took her hand. He looked straight into her eyes and said

"In fact, I've been looking for you everywhere. Can I talk to you for a while?"

"Yes, of course. Did something happen? You look so serious!" Saber was confused and trying to withdraw her hand from Sain.

"I love you! Please become my wife!" Sain said it out loud.

"!!! W-What are you talking about???" Saber fully opened her eyes.

"Please let me express my feelings." Sain put his hand on Saber's lips to stop her from speaking.

"Since the first time you showed up, I've been charmed with your beauty. Also, I've given many chances to communicate and work together with you, thanks to the Gods. In my eyes, you're the most beautiful girl in the world, the most kind-hearted person who always cares about others. Your beauty is very stand out of other girls in this country. I know this is a bit urgent but I don't know how much time I have left. So, please be my wife. My family is not the riches one in this city but wealthy enough to give you anything you want." Sain continued.

"I'm sorry Sain, but I can't. I don't and never intend to fall in love and marry anyone. Can I ask you something? You said that you didn't know how much time you'd left. What do you mean?" Saber asked.

To be honest, when Saber heard Sain said that he hadn't known how much time he had left, she was shocked. She had known about the reason why she came here and what was going to happen with this city soon. Yes, this city would be destroyed, that's why she wanted to protect as many people as she could. But she knew that because she is a Servant. Sain, he was just a normal citizen. It was impossible for him to know that. If he knew, didn't he be frightened and run away to save his life?

"Never mind. That's not important anymore. The most important thing right now is I want to marry you. Let's go, I'll introduce you to my parents. Hurry up!" Sain talked as he dragged Saber.

"Don't you hear me? I said no! Please forgive me." Saber stood still, took back her hand.

"If you insist so, allow me to use strong method. I'm sorry." After saying that, Sain clapped his hands 3 times. Suddenly many young men appeared from nowhere, one of them holds a rope along with a sack. They surrounded Saber. It's no doubt that Sain would kidnap her.

In front of that situation, Saber didn't know what to do. Of course, with the power of Servant, she could easily beat them but she wanted to protect the citizen, not to harm them. However, talking was useless. She needed to end that problem as fast as she could, too. If Gilgamesh came out and saw this, she didn't know what would happen. In short, she had to slap them on the wrist.

~~~

"The truth is, I don't work at the forge anymore. The other day, when taking a knife out of the kiln, I was carelessly dropped it and then it lost its shape. Grandpa Smid said that it was an extremely valuable thing. And then- I was fired." Filia sadly told the story.

"Understood. Smid was right. Don't blame him. Draw the moral this time and never forget it. But what I want to hear is about the knife, not your job. Go on." Gilgamesh said.

"A-After that, I was going on a half day's journey to the sea, and-. Thinking about it now, I realize that I was stupid somehow." Filia scratched his head.

"Hey, I don't have time for this. Hurry up. Besides, did you want to die? How dare you? If you don't have my permission, you won't be allowed to die, remember it!" Gilgamesh glanced at Filia.

"I'm sorry. It's just because I've found a job for many months but I still don't have anything. B-Back to the seashore, after wandering for a while, I was tired so I sat down, looked at the sea and the sky. Suddenly, many waves came and hit my feet hard. Then, a knife appeared next to me. For me, it was such a fine knife so I intended to bring that to Grandpa Smid with the hope that he would forgive me. No sooner had I picked the knife up than I didn't remember anything." Filia sighed as the story ended.

"You're ridiculous. I've never seen someone wanted to die and got rest. What a kid. Enough talking. So, you've told me all the truth, haven't you? No lies anymore?"

"Yes, I swear. If I had told lie, you can kill me anytime."

"Fool. What do I need your life for? I'm done here. You, go and cook something for your mother to eat, I'll go." Gilgamesh stood up and headed to the entrance.

"My king, please wait. Can I ask you a question?" Filia suddenly said.

"What?" Gilgamesh turned his head back.

"H-How did you know that I told lie?" Faltered Filia.

"You even need to ask about that? What a waste of time." Gilgamesh sighed.

~~~

Surrounded by six people including Sain, at the same time, they ran toward Saber. One man grabbed her right wrist, one from the other side grabbed her left wrist, they then locked her arms behind her. Taking a fulcrum, Saber jumped up and kicked straight on the man running in front of her, quickly took advantage of their weak spots to took back her arms and punched the two men who were holding her in the face. Noticing someone was approaching from behind, Saber sat on her heels and used one of her legs to turn and struck a blow on his shank, which made him fall on the ground. Another one appeared with a stick on his hand intending to strike her on the head, but Saber immediately grabbed the stick and brandished it to the right like her familiar sword. Unfortunately, the power of a servant is too much for a mere human to handle so the man holding the stick was struck to the nearby wall and then fainted. The strike made a loud noise but no citizen noticed that 'cause that allay was too dark and deep. If you stood on the main road, you couldn't know what's happening inside. Honestly, Saber didn't want to make anyone faint like that. She hurriedly prevented those who continued approaching, and talked incessantly: "Stop! Don't you worry about your brothers? They're injured. Stop!!!"

"I can cure them later but I'm afraid that if I lose you this time, I won't have another opportunity" Sain shouted.

"I didn't expect you to be so heartless, Sain." Saber ground her teeth.

"Of course, we humans are predetermined to die from the day we were born, it's just a matter of time." Sain calmly said.

"Y-You. What're you saying-" Saber stared at Sain with an angry look.

While Saber was continuing to prevent the approaching man by her arms, Sain, who was standing in front of her, suddenly ran toward her. Surrounded, Saber tried to find a way to escape without using violence. She used her right arm to push one man aside and stood back. Sain raised his arm to reach Saber but she jumped back automatically. He unintentionally took her fabric, which had been loosened during the combat. It fell to the ground and showed the wound - her only weak point. Although it was still absorbing her mana, it left her enough energy to fight in a normal battle. Noticing Saber's weakness, Sain immediately came toward and punched her exactly on the wound, which made her collapse. Even though a punch of a mere human can't affect the servant, Saber still unconsciously groaned with pain. It seemed that the wound was becoming worse and worse after the impact, it brought her more pain than when it first appeared. Snatching an opportunity, two men ran toward and used the rope to tie her arms.

~~~

"As I said before, you had an intention to stab me and Saber. According to what you had told me, the knife you used must be taken unconsciously somewhere in the market. But the knife you used that day had a construction different from every knife in that market, in this city. Yes, of course, there is another situation: That knife had been made from the forge because sometimes I sent my technical drawings to Smid, so some new knives can be created. Smid is a creative person, anyway. But I have confirmed that there are no new knives. By the way, I have to tell you. The knife that is broken by you is the golden knife I myself order Smid. I intended to use it on a special occasion. When I asked why Smid told me about you. That's the reason I asked you whether you worked in the forge or not." The king explained.

"I'm really sorry about the knife. Can't you forge another one?" Filia said with a sad face.

"That material was very special, it's not that you can use it as much as you want." Gilgamesh stared with an angry look.

"Please pardon me. If there is something I can do to fix my mistakes, please let me know." Filia put his hands together like when he prayed for God.

"Forget about that. It passed anyway, I don't care anymore. I'm late, so I'll leave."

"Yes, please be careful."

"BAM!!!"

Suddenly, a big noise echoed from outside Filia's house. (When a man was struck by the wall). That noise made Filia's mom wake up from her sleep. Thinking that something had happened, she called her child's name incessantly. Filia was very surprised, too, but he soon gained consciousness, ran out, and tried to set his mother's mind at rest. About Gilgamesh, he went out immediately to check the situation.

"How dare you? Trying to fight in my city?" Gilgamesh thought.

With an angry face, Gilgamesh stepped out and saw Saber was tied up. On the other hand, Sain was saying something, it looked like he was making fun of her. He could see some blood leaks from Saber's wound, too.

"So, it is you, once again, mongrel???" Very angry, Gilgamesh shouted.

Behind his back appeared many golden circles. They whirled like some liquid hanging in the mid-air. Inside each circle appeared different weapons. Together, they lit up the whole alley. Fortunately, at that time, citizens were back to their normal animated life so they didn't notice. Blink once, a weapon was launched and stabbed Sain in his beefy arm, which made him fall backward. He tried to stand up, drew the sword out of his arm with a painful face. His wound bled profusely. It seemed that he intended to go down on his knees to pray for his life, suddenly two chains appeared behind his back, wrapped him tightly. His face then showed extremely painful.

"Didn't I warn you before? You touch her once again and the knife will stab you. Why don't you remember? Do you disregard me, mongrel??? You over there, take off the rope, quickly." Gilgamesh was ablaze with anger.

"My king, please let me explain. Truly, I love this woman. Here in Uruk, we also have the rule that if the man can have all the necessary conditions to take care and give his beloved woman a comfortable life, no matter what the woman thinks, the man can hold a wedding ceremony with her." Sain tried to go through the pain and said.

"Shut up. I've told you before, that woman is mine. How dare you to talk about the law with me? I'm the law. You have to do whatever I say. About what you said. You told me that you can give her a comfortable life? Do you think you can give her a more comfortable life than me? You think you're richer than me?" Gilgamesh continued shouting. He came closer to Sain. The closer he came, the tighter the chains are.

"Do you want to die right here and right now, mongrel?" Gilgamesh used his blazing red pupils of his eyes stared at Sain who kneeling on the ground like a slave.

"Please. I beg of you. I want to live. I swear, I won't touch her ever again. Please, I will do anything to redeem my sin. Please forgive me." Sain prostrated himself before the king.

"Fine. You can keep your life. But you can't heal that wound. From now on, you have to come to Ziggurat every day to help with the building. Are we clear? Now, go away." Gilgamesh said as the chain disappeared.

"Yes, my king. Thank you, thank you very much." Sain slowly stood up and ran away.

After dealing with all the problems, Gilgamesh threw a look to find Saber. She was examining the fainted man. He approached her. Brutally, he gripped her chin, turned her face so that she could look straight to his eyes, said:

"Yes, indeed. I have to control you closer. You can't freely go around like this. If you continue to get more and more beautiful, I'm afraid that I won't have enough time to deal with all the insects hanging around you. Another thing: ignore him, take care of your wound first."

"I know how my body is right now. This time I was careless to show the wound. Next battles, I won't be lost like this." Saber moved his hand and said with trenchant words.

"I have to take this fainted man to the infirmary by any means. Then I have to buy some food for Filia, too. But this evident wound is not good. Do you have any fabric? Can I borrow one? This debt, I'll find the way to pay back later." Saber continued.

All of a sudden, Filia ran out. He called Saber out loud and hugged her tightly. He cried as incessantly asked if she was fine and apologized for the wound that he had made. Saber smiled, comforted him. Gilgamesh then took silk which had the same color as her clothes out of his Gate of Babylon and gave it to Saber.

"If you're my wife, you have to look like a queen. Everything needs to be made of gold. Every clothes need to be made of silk. I'll give you some beautiful clothes when I have free time. I can't let you be like this." Gilgamesh said.

"I want to fall in line with the citizens, not to be different from them." Saber got the silk and wrap it around her waist. Then she looked at Filia and said with a smile:

"You don't need to be worried. This wound will be healed soon. By the way, I want to buy some food for you and your mother. Would you like to come with me? Ah yes, first, we have to take this man to the infirmary."

"But I can't owe you more. I-" Filia sadly said.

"No, I told you. It's okay. You don't and never owe me anything. Will you come with me?" Saber said gently.

"If you said so, then I will. Please wait a moment, I'll tell my mom and then I'll accompany you." Filia said with a smile and ran back to his house. Saber helped the fainted man to stand up, laid one of his arms on her shoulders, and turned back to look at Gilgamesh:

"Thank you for your help, once again. I'll pay back to you all in the next battles. I'm sure that you're busy right now. You should go."

"Ha, you mean you want to protect me? Try to protect yourself. Hm, but I'm so happy that my wife worried about me so much like that. Then, I'll go first. If you have any free time, come to Ziggurat and see me. I'll be looking forward to you every day, my wife." Gilgamesh smirked and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see! Sorry for the late update. Eh, about this chapter. Maybe a rival in love is needed, huh. I know the first part of this chapter, which I tried to explain Saber's thought, is very... How can I say it? Difficult to understand? Yeah, it's not good at all. But I hope you'll continue to support me. One more chapter to go and we'll go straight to the main story. Battles, new appearances,... By the way, I had tried to draw some illustrations to help you understand more about this fic but... I drew like a kid so they didn't look good. I have posted one on my twitter so far. Follow me if you like. (Mainly, I will retweet some great art about kinken or fate series.) Thank you for supporting me! Have a nice day!
> 
> Link to my twitter: https://twitter.com/Linh76180540?s=09
> 
> Next chapter releases date: 1st November.


	8. The connected melody

"Honestly, I can't help you. Please ask the other people for their help." Saber said, worried.

"No, the only one that can help us is you. Please help us, otherwise we'll be punished." A woman entreated.

Seeing their sad faces, Saber didn't know what to do. She went back and forth to think.

~~~~  
That morning

"Saber, Saber, guess what has happened just now?" Fujimaru said with radiant eyes.

"Master? You have just returned from Ziggurat. Smiling face, huh? That king complimented you, didn't he?" Saber, who was cleaning the table, turned back and said.

"Wow, you're so great. I don't know whether you can read my mind or you can understand the king clearly. That's right! The king called my name and gave me and Mash a mission directly." Fujimaru said with a big smile.

"You have said an unnecessary sentence. Of course, she knows the king well. They have met each other 3 times already, you know?" Merlin suddenly appeared. "By the way, Arturia, I have something to tell you, too. As Fujimaru said, King Gilgamesh ordered him, Mash, Ana, and me to investigate Ur's situation. He also emphasized that: Under no circumstances can you go along with us. So, you'll stay here and help Ushiwakamaru, Benkei, Leonidas with the army, wait for us to come back." Merlin continued.

"But I come here to help Master with battles, not to wait for him. I will go with you no matter what." Saber seemed a bit angry when she heard the news.

"Come on, my dear student. Right, Fujimaru. As I remembered, Leonidas said something yesterday. Hmm. Ah, is that "If you're wounded, you need to switch out with someone else immediately. Fighting spirit doesn't heal wounds!", right?" Merlin changed the direction from Saber to Fujimaru and asked. Seeing Fujimaru nodded, he continued: "However, when I talked with some kids, some of them insist that when they have enough qualifications to join the army, they will fight no matter how many wounds will they have. I know they love their country but they'll never understand how much damage will the army receive if any soldier fights like that. Being wounded is bad." Merlin said as if he didn't know about Fujimaru's dazed face or Saber's angry.

"Right, right. All I need to do is stay still, right? When are you going to start?" Saber tried to keep her calm and asked.

"We are going to depart for Ur right after this meal. Can you help us with the requests of the citizen? Thank you a lot." Mash, who had helped Siduri in the kitchen, said.

"What? Lord Fujimaru will come to Ur? Please do be careful. It isn't just soldiers that haven't returned after heading into that jungle. Two other Heroic Spirits King Gilgamesh summoned, Amakusa Shirou and Fuuma Kotarou, have not returned either." Ushiwakamaru came from outside, worried.

"The King had summoned others???" Mash surprised.

"Yes, the oni Ibaraki and Tomoe Gozen were here, too. Ibaraki broke off and disappear somewhere, but Tomoe Gozen faced the general of the Demonic Beasts, and they took each other out..." Benkei continued.

"Keeping that aside... I don't want to talk about that oni anymore. Ah, Saber, you'll stay with us, right? Yes, I have more opportunity to have a test of strength with you. I'm looking forward to it." Ushiwakamaru's worried face now has a big smile.

"Ushiwakamaru. Why don't you postpone the trial of strength with my student? Perhaps when we come back? I'm sure that Fujimaru and Mash want to watch it, too." Merlin smiled.

"Let put the test aside. We are more productive with proper nutrition. Let's eat!" General Leonidas had just came back, he went straight to the dining table, sat there, and waited.

~~~

"Hey, Benkei. Do you think we didn't do our best when battling with Lord Fujimaru?" Ushiwakamaru said, looking at the sky, seeing sunset. It seemed that she was trying to remember the battle that she and Benkei challenged Fujimaru as a warm-up exercise.

"No, I don't think so. It's just because of Lord Fujimaru's and Mash's incredible skills that we can't win. We are lost to them." Benkei, who walked side by side with Ushi, said.

"No, you can't say that, Benkei. If we lose, we have to practice more and more, so that we can be on equal terms with them. Do you agree, Leonidas?" Ushiwakamaru determined.

"Yes, but I'm also proud of Fujimaru and Mash. They have improved their skills in such a short period of time." Leonidas seemed so happy but then turned sad a little bit. "Ah, I want to join that battle, too. Why you had to call me so suddenly, soldiers???" He shouted. "Talking about skills, yours have improved, too, Saber." He changed the direction to Saber, who was walking next to them, watching the sunset.

"That's true. But there's one thing I am still thinking about. It's about Merlin, your mentor. Before departure, he kept reminding me not to have a battle with you, not to have a battle with you, which made me felt like I was being threatened. Your mentor is so weird." Said curious Ushiwakamaru.

"Merlin, huh. What can I say... I know he's a kind-hearted person but sometimes he's really annoyed and difficult to understand. Just... Forget about him. Let's go to the Embassy and have dinner. I really want to know what Siduri cooks today." Saber walked faster.

Back to the Embassy, there was appetizing scent, especially with someone hungry after a long training day, pervaded the air. It seemed that the food was ready.

"You must have been very tired today, have a sit and I'll carry the food for you." Saber said and ran into the kitchen.

"Siduri, we're back. Thank you for cooking for us as always. Here, let me help you." Saber smiled.

"Yes, welcome back. Oh, wait a minute. I have something to tell you. This is a proposal from the king. He invited you to come to the ziggurat and have dinner with him. A lot of cuisines are waiting for you. Please finish your dinner quickly and follow me to ziggurat right away." Siduri went straight to the point without hesitation.

"Not again. Why he can't leave me alone? Sorry but it's impossible. I won't go. Please convey my words to him? I will never come there no matter what." Saber rolled her eyes and said with an angry voice.

"I know it doesn't relate to me but if you don't accept the proposal of my king, could you please listen to the words of this priestess. I beg of you, please come to Ziggurat just once, so that the king can have a proper rest. Since the Demonic Beasts arose and the Goddess Alliance appeared, he has worked incessantly that he skipped at least 2 meals every day and just had 1, 2 hours to sleep. I'm worried. If anything happens to the king, what will we citizens..." Siduri looked sad.

Listening to the sincere words from Siduri, Saber just comforted her by telling her she would think about that and then brought the food to the dining table.

~~~

"Ah, I'm full now. The food Siduri prepared is always delicious." Ushiwakamaru said happily after finishing the meal.

"Yes, my Lord. If you want, I, Benkei, ready to accompany you for a walk." Benkei has just finished his apple, said.

"Benkei, you don't need to be that devoted. She is your Lord, not a baby. She doesn't need so much care. Honestly, don't care about her too much. You make me remember about my comrades when I was alive. Looking at those two makes me jealous, don't you agree, Saber?" Leonidas sat with his chin in his hand.

"Yes, I totally agree." Saber drank a gulp of tea. "Whenever I look at them, the figures of Knights of the Round Table come to my mind. They always be loyal and care about me. Unfortunately, I didn't spend time with them. I'm very regret now." Looking at the cup of tea, Saber said. "Leonidas, can you tell us some of your memories together with your comrades?" She quickly put her sad face away and asked.

"Of course. But I have two conditions. First, Ushiwakamaru and Benkei, you two have to do the washing-up, not to go anywhere. Second, alter I tell you, you have to tell us about your knights, too, Saber. I've heard about their talents, but I want to hear the comments from their king." Leonidas grinned.

So that their evening continued ebulliently until...

"Saber, Saber, are you here? You gotta help us" A man and a woman suddenly ran into the house, panted.

Everybody immediately stood up, asked about what had happened.

"Sorry everyone, it's not that the beasts come. It's just... The band has a big problem!!! As you can see, Saber, we have practiced hard these days, preparing for a big performance, which is an order directly from the king. We have to perform today but suddenly, the man who in charge of playing the harp had a serious illness so that the performance is being postponed. Saber, please lend us a hand, replace him, and help us with the music. I know you don't have confidence in your ability but it's just a piece of music. Remember the melody that you suggested adding the other day? Yes, you just have to play that melody. You've practiced, too. You have got used to with that, so you're the only one who can help us." The man ran toward Saber, entreated.

_A performance in ziggurat... Today??? Is that for me? He... Prepared for me? Why don't he cancel it? Come to think of it, if he cancels, there will be many disadvantages to the band. All of their effort will be wasted. However, I have told Siduri that I won't come. But if I won't, the band will..._

"Okay. Sorry guys, I'll be going for a while. If I come back late, please go to bed early. So we'll get going now?" Saber told Ushiwakamaru, Leonidas, Benkei, and then follow the two people to meet the band.

~~~

From afar, Ziggurat looked sparkling with candles light everywhere. What a fanciful scenery! Saber, who had changed a brand new performing costume, worn a headscarf and veil, together with the band went upstairs.

"Your Majesty, the band has come" Siduri informed immediately when the band stepped on the last stair.

That was the first time Saber come to Ziggurat. _Of course, why I need to come here?_ It was as splendid as her Camelot, which was built 2000 years later. Talking about construction, it's second to none. At the corner of the room, Saber could see a dining table full of food.

_So that was what Siduri talking about._

Hearing what Siduri said, Gilgamesh still stared at the report carved into a slab of stone, muttered, and thought about the problems. A moment later, he looked up, looked at the band and order them to start the performance then turned back to the report. The main character hadn't come, there was no need for him to listen to the band. But thinking about the effort they had made, he still gave a command for them to come. At least that what he thought.

"Yes, we'll start right away." The head of the band respectfully lower his head and started conducting the band.

Back to Saber, during the performance, she still stared at the king who was working constantly. Perhaps she was worried about him?

For Gil, he hadn't eaten anything the whole day. Although he knew that Saber wouldn't come, he still laid the table for dinner as if there was a faint hope. Suddenly, a familiar tune reached his ears, which made him stopped for a minute.

 _Ah, that was..._

Gilgamesh looked up again. This time he looked straight on the woman who was playing a harp solo. Unexpectedly, there was a smile on his face, then he turned back to work.

"My king. We've done with the performance." The last note came out, the music stopped. The head of the band once again said clearly. But the same as last time, the king didn't lookup.

"Thank you, everyone. You've done very well." Siduri ran out and spoke for the king. After that, she made a sign for a band to go outside and continue the talk.

"Honestly, I myself really love this instrumental music. It contained both imposing melody, some bass notes in the middle, and then back to the impressive notes, which made me believe in the victory waiting for us at the end of the road. I'm sure that when the soldiers heard this, they'll boil with fighting spirits." Siduri said happily. "Here, this is your wage. Please hurry up, come home and take a rest. Good night!"

While Siduri was showing her excitement, Saber didn't move her eyes out of the king until a woman called her name and told her to go back, she started. Walking down some stairs, Saber gave the harp back to the band and whispered:

"I'm sorry. I know it's my duty to carry this harp until we reach your house but could you please carry it for me? I still have something to talk with the king so I'll be back later and go straight to the Embassy. You guys have dinner and go to bed early, okay? You have been working hard, please rest well. Good night!"

Even though everybody in the band didn't understand what Saber was saying, they nodded, wished her a good night's sleep, and then went home. After they had gone, Saber quickly turned back and ran toward Siduri.

"Siduri, wait a moment! Can I ask you something? The king hasn't eaten anything, has he?" Saber asked.

"Yes, it's true. But why do you-" Siduri immediately turned back once she heard a voice called her name. "Ah, Saber, isn't it? I'm glad you come. Sorry but not until now did I realized you." Siduri narrowed her eyes and said happily. "I think the king wants to wait for you so that he decided not to clean out the dining table. Once again, thank you for coming. So, I'll get going. Please try to persuade the king to eat something. I believe he will listen to you." Saying that, Siduri then went downstairs.

Being alone, Saber didn't know what to do. She took all of her courage to step inside Ziggurat and talk with Gilgamesh.

"Hey, Gilgamesh, stop what you're doing and eat something, otherwise you'll die because of overexertion." Saber came closer, snatched the slab of stone that Gilgamesh was holding, looked into his eyes, and said.

"Oh, I thought you were gone? You turned out to be worried about me, huh? Gilgamesh smirked. "Hey, don't make that surprised face. I didn't realize my wife, you think so, right? Who do you think I am? Besides, the melody that you played the harp solo was the same melody you had drone that night, I still remember it. However, if you care about me that much, I will have a proper dinner. But you have to stay here to eat with me, are we clear?" Gilgamesh said and order some people to reheat the food. It was late so he couldn't tell them to cook new plates. Everything happened quickly.

"Here, it's your honor to sit beside me. Enjoy what the real food is supposed to be." Gilgamesh sat down on a chair took place in front of the entrance and Saber sat on the right of him.

"So, you skipped meals every day?" Seeing Gilgamesh slowly poured some wine into a golden glass, Saber asked.

"Of course not. But if you come to visit me when I skip meals, I'll do it every day." Gilgamesh laughed.

The quiet atmosphere pervaded the air.

 _Uhm, Uruk cuisine dishes are really unique_ Saber thought while eating.

"Wait a minute, you have been drinking wine the whole time?" She looked at Gilgamesh, who was staring at her.

"There's no need. This is enough for me." Saying that, Gilgamesh stood up, put the glass of wine down to the table, stood in front of Saber. He used his right hand to raise her chin, red eyes met green eyes.

"W- What are you doing???" Saber stunned as she saw Gilgamesh's face closer and closer to hers. She could even feel his breath...

"Your Majesty, there is urgent news from the observatory-" Siduri completely panic-stricken rushed into the room; Seeing King Gilgamesh and Saber, she blushed and then apologized for interrupting.

Gilgamesh smacked his tongue, stood up straight, and said with an angry voice:

"What's going on?"

While Siduri was explaining the problem, Saber stood up. She sighed with relief and then quietly headed back to the Embassy without knowing Gilgamesh's look behind her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fortunately, I can reach the deadline. How are you these days? I hope you're all okay. About this chapter, I didn't talk about Fujimaru's trip to Ur. Hope you can read it in FGO or watch anime. By the way, FSN Heaven's Feel 3 will be released in my country on 13th November. I'm very excited right now!
> 
> The next chapter releases on 1st December.


	9. The past figure

It was a night. The rain down nonstop. The lightning flashed and the thunder roared in the sky. It seemed that the Gods were angry? Or they were crying? No one knew about it.

There was a faint figure of a man. He was going down on his knees, his arms were gripping someone, no matter how hard the rain was. He was soaking wet. The rain made his hair down, hiding his eyes. The rain-water ran down his face. Or it was his tear? So man was crying but still trying to keep calm.

Then his figure was fainter, fainter, and completely disappeared.

"That dream once again, why do I have to see it?" The green-haired men woke up. He mumbled with an angry face.

"This body's memories... They didn't let go of me." His face was twisted with pain, he took his head with his hands.

"No, ⬛⬛ you can't lose control. Mother give you an important mission. You have to complete it as fast as you can." Having talked to himself he stood up slowly. It seemed that he didn't completely get out of the pain, he felt dizzy and almost fell.

~~~  
Another new day started on Babylonia land. But today in Chaldea Embassy, there was something strange. As usual, once Merlin woke up, he would immediately go to a living room and said hi to everyone. That day, there was no one.

_Maybe Siduri came earlier today? Haizz, I will have to go around by myself once again._

"Fuahahaha. What makes you sigh like that, oh Magus of Flower? If you want a good day, you have to be energetic in the morning." A big laugh echoed from the entrance cut through Merlin's thought.

"Oh, what brings you here by yourself, King of Heroes? Artoria had gone to work with other people since early in the morning, there's only me here." Merlin smiled and said.

"Haiz, that stubborn woman always makes me mad." Gilgamesh sighed and sat down in front of Merlin.

"You know her, don't you? She will never sit still with that kind of wound." Merlin took 2 cups and quickly poured down some tea.

"I have already known that had it been for your help, my wife can go around easily but do you know how to absolutely heal that wound? Fatal battles are coming close, it is the wound that is the biggest obstacle" Gilgamesh sat with his chin popped up his hand.

"First, I want to know why she had that wound. When and where?" Merlin took a gulp of tea and asked.

Gilgamesh quickly summarised the story and took the evidenced knife out of Gate of Babylon (GoB).

"Understood. So the main target of this knife was you. It had the ability to absorb magical energy. With the person providing magical energy for 4 servants like you, just a stroke of a knife and the face of the battle will change a lot. There's a high capability that it's related to Three Goddesses Alliance. Haizz, how dare they to use a kid like this." Merlin sighed and continued. "About how to heal the wound, to be honest, I have no idea about it. I can just use my magic of flower to supply her magical energy. In the worst case I am forced to return to Avalon before the battles' end, she herself will have to learn to adjust her mana appropriately, especially when to use her Noble Phantasm. But with a person like Artoria, I afraid..." Merlin worried said.

"Put that aside. Look at the other perspective, fighting with that kind of wound makes my wife even more beautiful. While waiting for Fujimaru, why don't you entertain me with the story about my wife?" Gilgamesh sighed but quickly returned with a smile.

"About that... I have an idea. When all these things come to an end, why don't you come to Chaldea? I'll tell Fujimaru to tell you more about her. You can also meet Artoria every day. Isn't it great?" Merlin smiled and said.

"Merlin, we're back! Ah- King Gilgamesh???" No sooner had Fujimaru and Mash entered the Embassy than they shouted. Saber immediately stopped when she saw the uninvited guest.

"Tch, close your mouth. What if Siduri heard you and ran here? Today, I myself will be the one who gives you your mission. Fujimaru, Mash, prepare your stuff and I will let you go on a trip to the Observatory." Gilgamesh chucked.

"Y- Yes, we'll return right away." Fujimaru and Mash quickly went upstairs.

"And my wife, be obedient and wait for me to return." Pointing at the standing girl, Gilgamesh said.

"Whatever. I'll go and practice with other people in the army. Remember to lend my Master a hand, or else I'll kill you. You'll go with me, right Ana? Then we can go to the flower shop together." Saber turned to Ana who silently listened to the story the whole time. Ana nodded. She seemed happy when she heard about the flower shop. Then they went straight to the barrack.

"Hey, Artoria, Ana, wait for me! I think I'll join them, too. Have a nice trip! Ah, Fou. I'll let you choose. It seems that you want to go with Mash, do you? Okay have fun and help them if you can." Merlin waved at the king and fou, he went out.

"Fou, fou~"

~~~

"Um Senpai, should we break the silence first? I think just keeping silent like this is not a good idea. The weather is nice today so it'll be a waste if we don't enjoy the trip." Mash, who was holding a bridle to control the donkey, said.

In Uruk, donkeys were the main mean of transport. They would have donkey pulled the cart, and loaded the cart with water jugs.

"'Far-off sea of clouds. 'Round atop the white peal hill. Mountain of cedar.' That bit of wisdom is what I've heard long ago but that didn't sound quite the way I imagined. Well, it fits with this Zagros mountains. Ah, what about this?" No sooner had Fujimaru said anything than the king broke the silence.

That day, the weather was nice. The sunbeams were gentle and sweet. A southerly wind puffing lightly. That kind of weather really knows how to make people feel comfortable. They were going to the Observatory at Persian Gulf to survey the water quality, crossing by the Zagros Mountains, Fujimaru and Mash couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the imposing scene.

"Um... We'd like to hear why you decided to accompany us." Fujimaru turned back to see the king and asked.

The king sat on the cart, he stretched his left leg and put his right arm on his right leg. Having heard Fujimaru's question, he glanced at him.

"Sometimes I just want to watch the sea. But don't you dare to think I want a vacation or something. Your face shows every little thing you're thinking, you know? I have no time to have fun. It's so precise for me to come with you. Anyway, I can't work until death in ziggurat. Prepare to entertain me with your stories."

Facing with the king's reaction, Fujimaru and Mash smiled at each other. On their way, Fujimaru asked the king and decided to stop and have lunch. Mash quickly laid a cloth near the foot of a tree and carefully brought the prepared food out. Fujimaru and Mash sat on the cloth and the king still sat on the cart, talk face-to-face with them.

"Tell me an interesting story. I heard that you had overcome 6 singularities before you came here. Show me how wonderful they were." Gilgamesh laughed and then closed his eyes, prepared for the upcoming stories.

"I think that every singularity had their own impressions. We had a lot of memories with Heroic Spirit as well as the citizens. In Orleans, we met Saint Jeanne'd Arc and fought along her to defeat her alter version." Fujimaru started.

"Yes, in 2nd singularity, we had a chance to meet 4 Emperors of Roma. They love their country and passed that love down from generation to generation. They really are Roma, right Senpai?" Mash continued.

"Um. About Okeanos, we had met "the woman who felled the sun". She was a great pirate who always full of courage."

"When I hadn't known her, I thought she was scared. But yes, she was very nice. And for London... Ah, we had met wonderful writers. I love all of their works. But I hadn't known being a writer would be so tired until I met Andersen. And I was surprised when I saw Andersen cause he looked like a 10-years-old boy.

"Sometimes he looked like a naughty boy, didn't he? In America, we came across a nurse who was devoted to her patients. But the way she showed her love to them was a bit different. She almost cut off my leg..."

"'To save the patients, even if I had to kill them, I'll do.' That what she always said. Finally the 6th singularity about the Round Table. That was the first time I had eaten dragon's meat. 'Strange creature's meat is no different from any other meat.' That was the 8th rule of King Arthur, which Bedivere told us to repeat again and again." Mash giggled.

"Even had food rules, huh. Ah, that's my wife. Honestly, the stories which you have told me until now, they were boring to me. But with the people who went through those journeys, if they smiled every time they remembered it, it must be the greatest experience." Gilgamesh smiled and said.

"How about you, my king? Did you have an unforgettable experience?" Fujimaru asked.

"Of course. I remembered all. From the tales of great heroes to the meaningless journeys and all the people appeared in those, I remember." The king said. He lowered his head, sadly.

~~~

"We have come to the Observatory. Let's come in, I'll introduce you to the people here. Next carry some water jars which had been prepared, put those jars on the cart for me. You can do whatever you want after that." Standing in front of the entrance of the Observatory, Gilgamesh said.

"Yes, my king!" Fujimaru and Mash immediately answered.

~~~

_Target, 100 kilometers left. Determined. Fujimaru Ritsuka, you have intercepted Mother's way. Now die with your sin._

The sun was setting in the West. Waves crashing onto the seaside. Excited Fou ran out to play with the water.

“Warning! Something is beelining toward you from 9 o’clock at a speed of 500km/h. It’s going to make contact in 3, 2, 1. Mash, shield up!” Da Vinci said with a loud voice but calmly.

That subject fell down from the sky to the ocean which created big waves. With that kind of speed, that subject also created a big tornado. Together with the sand, they obscured Fujimaru’s and Mash’s view.

“Well, well. Coming here alone without any soldier. It seems that you underestimate me, huh?” Inside the sandstorm, the figure of a man slowly came out.

“E-Enkidu? I thought you were- Ah, no, you’re not-“ Fujimaru opened his eyes widely, surprisingly said.

“Huh, so you have been more intelligent since the last time we met. Who I am is not important. The only thing you need to know is until I’m broken, I will be human’s enemy, your enemy.” Enkidu said. From his body, a large amount of power came out. Just in a second, tens of chains appeared behind his back, quickly flung at Fujimaru and Mash.

Facing that situation, Mash hold her shield and rush forward, tried using the shield to stop the chains, which had been launched with great force. However, there were so many chains, some of them still grazed her face and her arm. Suddenly, a chain that had flown behind her turned back, grabbed onto her right arm, hardly pulled it, made her lose her balance, flying far away.

“Mash!” Fujimaru shouted.

“Wait a minute. This fighting style is truly the specialty of the King of Heroes, so why does he-?” Doctor and Da Vinci worried watched the battle from Chaldea.

“Of course. Even though this body has changed its owner, it’s still a weapon. This is the optimal way to fight with this body. Creating an inexhaustible number of blades and firing every single one of them at you. Isn’t that easier?” Enkidu said as he kneeled down, focused his energy on his hands, put them on the ground, and called out a chain that was as 5 times bigger as the old ones. Just in a blink, they had been fired toward Mash. Fujimaru quickly ran toward her, hold her to ran away. He used his back as a shield for her. When he saw the chain flew toward, Fujimaru closed his eyes tightly.

“Clang”

A big ax from nowhere cut off the chain, made it disappear.

_Who?_

“Who said that this fighting style is the ultimate waste of energy? Or I’m misremembering?” From a nearby cliff, Gilgamesh stood there, looked down. It seemed that he had been watching for a while before participating.

_Who are you?_

Saying that, Gilgamesh sprang down, stood in front of Enkidu, smile.

“King Gilgamesh, that’s not the real Enkidu! Please be careful!” Mash shouted from afar.

_What? Gilgam-?_

“Y-You are Gilgamesh?” Enkidu said, he hold his head in his hand. He was enduring intense pain.

“Who else could I be, you fool? “ Gilgamesh said, sadly. A magic book made of stone suddenly appeared in his hand.

_That face… Why am I… He… He is the one who barred Mother’s way… In that case, I have to…_

“I have to kill you right here and right now, Mother’s enemy. Prepare to your death.” Enkidu shouted. He swung his arm back despite the headache still raging. Once again, tens of chains appeared behind him and flew toward Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh was also not inferior. As many chains flew over, so many swords flew out from his GoB to stop it.

_Why?_

Without stopping there, just a few seconds later, 5 chains appeared around Gilgamesh, seemingly waiting for the master's order to squeeze him. Gilgamesh glanced around quickly. Enkidu tightly gripped his left hand while using his right hand to launch a chain, aiming at the center of the target. Gilgamesh quickly jumped up while launching his swords down from above to break all the chains. He landed lightly, looking at Enkidu holding his head in pain, sadly.

_Why do you…?_

Once again, Enkidu knelt down. But this time, what he called up was not a big chain anymore but hundreds of sharp chains.

In response, Gilgamesh also used the magic book in his hand. He spread his arms wide, his mouth muttered. Soon a vortex appeared in the sky like yellow liquid. From there, countless swords were called out. Hundreds of swords collided with hundreds of chains, the scene was so splendid that no words could be described. The whole sky was bright, the wind was continuously swirling, the sand was carried by the wind, creating a strange blurry scene.

_Why do you…?_

Enkidu tried to put all his magical energy into calling for more chains. His painful face suddenly showed a smile of confidence. He was confident in his victory this time when dozens more chains appeared flying straight towards Gilgamesh. Seeing danger approaching, Gilgamesh put away the book, and a large ax appeared in his hand instead. One by one, he blew away each chain that was flying toward him.

_Argh, why don’t you…?_

Unable to hold it back, Enkidu put magical energy into his right arm, making it as solid and sharp as a sword and flying towards Gilgamesh.

“Why don't you take the initiative to strike first? Why do you keep standing still? Do you look down on me? I am the strongest person here. I am the strongest person on this planet. That's why fight seriously!” Enkidu shouted.

Sword and ax colliding. The enormous energy from both sides created a great wind. The two opponents looked each other in the eye. While one shouted loudly, the other just frowned silently, but that frown represented sadness rather than anger.

Seeing no reply, Enkidu repeatedly swung his sword forward. What Gilgamesh did was simply step back and use his ax to catch those slashes.

_I said that and you still looked down on me, then die._

Enkidu's anger was at its peak, he snapped his fingers, a chain from the ground appeared wrapped around Gilgamesh's right leg, rendering him unable to move. Enkidu quickly stepped back, spread his arms wide, and immediately hundreds of small chains appeared behind him together into a giant chain flying straight to the locked person.

_Ha, this time you will die for sur- Aaaaaaa. My head_

_"Hey, Enkidu, do you want to be friends with me?"_

The giant chain had plunged straight to the ground and disappeared. Foggy sandstorm.

"King Gilgamesh!!!" Fujimaru and Mash shouted.

2cm. Only 2cm more. The chain plugged into the ground forming a giant hole. And besides just 2cm, the foot was still locked. Gilgamesh was still standing, staring straight at Enkidu, wordlessly.

The pain has subsided. The two opponents stared at each other, but not with hateful eyes. And then, Enkidu soared high, heading north, vanished.

"Phew, we're out." Da Vinci and Doctor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, are you okay? Thank you very much. Thanks to your help, we are safe." Fujimaru and Mash quickly ran to Gilgamesh. He was looking at the sea right now, where Enkidu had disappeared.

"Idiot. Even if I include my strength, the battle is still not balanced. You are safe because of his grace. If not, surely me and you would have died in his hands." Gilgamesh still didn't turn around, just glancing back to see that Mash and Fujimaru were worried.

"It's too late. I saw what I needed to see and did what I needed to do. There's no reason to stay here anymore." Gilgamesh turned to the left and started walking.

"Wait, my king. Do you know why Enkidu was painful fighting?" Fujimaru ran after, asking.

"Who knows? Maybe some part of his body was broken. Something like that happened sometimes." Gilgamesh said as he walked straight.

~~~

"Why did I withdraw, why?" In a dark place, Enkidu collapsed, and his headaches continued to torture him violently.

"Those memories, quickly vanish! Vanish them all! I am Kingu, not Enkidu! Go away! I want to have memories of myself, not that guy's. That guy is dead!" " Kingu shouted loudly, the sound echoed but only he could hear it.

"Or will these memories only disappear when the person who appeared in here disappears? Alright, I will kill that king to archive the feat, give it to Mother, and then this brain will only contain my own memories. He raised his face to the sky, laughing in pain.

~~~

There were two people lying side by side on the grass together watching the beautiful starry sky appear before them. They had just went through a battle so both of them were tired. But on their faces was a bright smile. Or rather, they were rivals.

"Hey, Enkidu, do you want to ... be friends with me?" Gasping for a while in fatigue, Gilgamesh spoke first.

"The last battle was really great. This is the first time I've been able to play such a match. How do you feel?" Gilgamesh continued.

"I'm also very happy." Enkidu laughed, sitting up. "When I first heard of a tyrant like you, I hated a little and swore to kill you at all costs. But I did not expect fighting you to be this fun." He turned to face the person still lying on the lawn, said.

"After just one battle, I felt you had a lot in common with me. I've never met anyone like that. So ... friends?" Gilgamesh laughed, and he sat up too, extending his right arm forward.

Enkidu was also planning to reach out with his right hand and clench Gilgamesh's hand to show friendship. But then he pulled back.

"But I am just a weapon. And you are a son of a god... Is that okay... ?" Enkidu said hesitantly.

Gilgamesh lay down on the grass again. His right arm was raised straight up into the sky as if trying to reach a distant star.

"If you were the weapon, then I am just a bridge across the divine and human worlds. At least since I was born. But now there is a weapon that helps me to destroy it. I want to build a new bridge, but this time it's a human-human connection. Just unfortunately there isn't enough material to complete it. Come to think of it, weapons if heated and properly processed, can also be turned into bridge-building materials. How do you feel? " He laughed, said.

"Then my friend, this weapon is also slowly melting. Let's take care of this country from now on. This bridge will only connect people together." Enkidu laughed and lied down beside his friend. In the hearts of 2 people, both joy and burning determination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has completed. This time, I want to focus on the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. To be honest, when I wrote the battle scene, I was very confused. Actually, I don't know which word to use correctly, how this action is described. So please forgive me for my errors. Thank you very much! If you have free time, please let me know what you think about this chapter.
> 
> Please stay healthy!
> 
> "To lose patience is to lose the battle." - Mahatma Gandhi.


	10. BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Hello everybody. How's your day? Today, I come here to tell you that... Ah it's hard to say.

I will drop my fanfiction FOR A WHILE.

I hope you can understand. When I first wrote chapter 1 of this fic, I was so excited that I hadn't thought about the whole story. I had just imagined their first met and their last battle against Tiamat. So, I need more time. Could you please wait for me? I will make up my mind, think of the whole story, and give you the best of me. Maybe I'll rewrite the whole story, exact characters, exact battles but maybe they'll be changed a little bit. Once again, I'm soo sorry. But I promise you.

This fanfiction will... No... THIS FANFICTION IS GOING TO COME BACK. (at the middle of the year? I guess)

Also, you can tell me what you expect from this fic, I will consider it. When waiting for me, please take care of yourself and your family.

Thank you for supporting me!


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